SNAP
No SNAP Judgements
by Kristin Pederson, FSNYC VISTA Member
Sunday’s New York Times carried a story stating that food stamp enrollment is at an all time high and increasing, helping to feed 1 in 8 Americans and 1 in 4 children. It is wonderful that food stamps, now actually called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), are having such an important impact in the aggregate. But I have learned through my own experience that each individual’s journey to receiving assistance is idiosyncratic in spite of the bureaucracy surrounding the process.
Parts of that bureaucracy can be dehumanizing. Arriving mid-morning at the Williamsburg, Brooklyn Food Stamp Center, I joined an outdoor line reaching down the block. As the line inside was processed, we moved through the doors in groups of five or so, strictly managed by security guards who stood watch every few feet against line jumping and disorder. Once indoors, it was possible to hear the shouted announcement, made every few minutes, that the building was literally at its capacity, so anyone without business there had to leave. This meant no friends to look after babies as mothers filled in forms, and elderly wives unaccompanied by their husbands.
FNS has released the latest SNAP participation rates
Posted July 6th, 2009 by Jane ShuputThe full report, titled Trends In Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: 2000 – 2007, was released by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. The average monthly number of participants grew from about 25 million in 2006 to 26 million in 2007. During that same period, the number of people eligible for the program grew even faster, twice as fast as the number of participants. Program participation has continued to grow substantially since 2007, reaching more than 33 million people in March 2009. The rapid growth in the SNAP eligible population, which is outpacing participation increases, has led to a small reduction in the participation rate. Even as State agencies have increased outreach, implemented program simplifications, and engaged community partners, they face substantial economic challenges. Caseloads are increasing at a greater rate than State administrative resources. The Recovery Act provided States $144.5 million this year and will provide $146 million next year to help offset these rising costs.
The Food and Nutrition Service remains committed to facilitating access to the program for all who are eligible and are engaged in many access-related initiatives including: radio advertisements, developing additional information for outreach toolkits, and distributing education material in multiple languages.
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Brooklyn Food Summer ’09: Empower Brooklyn residents by supporting them in overcoming challenges to food access and affordabil
WHO: YOU! We are sounding the call for volunteers!
WHAT: Brooklyn Food Summer ’09: Empower Brooklyn residents by supporting them in overcoming challenges to food access and affordability!
WHEN: Ongoing, beginning June 1
WHERE: Brooklyn neighborhoods where residents lack access to healthy food.
WHY: Brooklyn faces a health crisis of rising obesity and diabetes among children and adults. These diet-related diseases disproportionately affect certain neighborhoods where residents lack access to healthy food. Though there is sufficient healthy, culturally appropriate food available to serve all Brooklyn residents, this food in not getting onto the tables and into the bellies of many Brooklynites.
HOW: Sign up to volunteer at: http://www.brooklynhealthyfoodcampaign.org/fs_volunteerrls.html
or read on for more details…
A BIT ABOUT WHO WE ARE
Brooklyn Food Summer ‘09 is an all-volunteer initiative of the Brooklyn Healthy Food Campaign (BHFC). The BHFC is a partnership of City and State governments, citywide service providers, grassroots organizations, and concerned citizens. We are committed to improving community health and food security, and to supporting neighborhood economies through locally spent food dollars, in the Borough of Brooklyn. This summer, these groups are joining forces to apply technical expertise, agency resources, and grassroots community organizing to make strides towards this vision.
Goals and Activities
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