People used to have negative feeling when talking about food stamps. Well, during this current economy, more and more people have to take advantage of food stamps to survive. Not just inner cities, but everywhere, the range of food stamp users is getting wider and more more diverse. It is estimated that the food stamp program reaches record high with 36 million users for milk, bread, and cheese. The majority is in the cities, but there are signs of users in suburbs with foreclosures. Within the 239 counties in the US, a quarter is now under the food stamp program. Some counties like Appalachian, as much as half of its 4,600 residents have to live by with food stamps.
Things get worse. It is estimated that almost half of all American kids will experience food stamps at some time during their childhood. Even though most people who use food stamps are not starving, we need to see the big picture here. The fact is that many people who need to use food stamp often do not get them. According to the US Department of Agriculture, dozens of states failed to reach their most needed citizens. The USDA stated that one in seven American households does not have food security in 2008. In addition, about 15 percent of American households are struggling to get enough food on a daily basis.
The average American like Ms. Luna said that without the food stamp program, she would not know what to do since she lost her job. Americans are facing two issues coming at once: jobs declining and prices for basic goods rising. You really know it is bad when you know that one in every eight residents in Michigan receives food stamps, and it's one in seven in Kentucky. The poverty live is less than $28,000 for a family of four and if this is your situation you would receive $100 per person per month.
Sources:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/us/29foodstamps.html?_r=1&hp
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091127/ap_on_he_me/us_med_children_food_stamps
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/03/31/eveningnews/main3984469.shtml
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