There has been a very interesting series in the New York Times about the rise in use of SNAP Benefits (Food Stamps) and the change in attitudes across the country about their use. Click here to read the most recent NYT article Once Stigmatized, Food Stamps Find Acceptance.
At the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, we have seen the opportunity with this program for some time. The benefits were there, available for families that need them, but greatly underutilized. And so the Food Stamp Outreach program was born. Employees of the Food Bank go out to various locations where emergency food services are available and help people get signed up for these very useful benefits. Not only do SNAP benefits provide a longer term solution to hunger than a food pantry, they also provide a boost to our local economy due to spending in our local grocery stores. For every dollar in SNAP benefits received, there is an economic impact of $1.84. For more information on the Food Bank SNAP outreach or for locations, click here.
For an early article in the Food Stamp series in the New York Times click here. Click here for an article in the series that explores the phenomenon of families that are living on soley food stamp benefits.