RSS
Home
While the Senate debates the stimulus package, more Americans face hunger
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
As the economy continues a downward spiral, the number of Americans applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamps Program, continues to rise.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one in 10 Americans—roughly 31 million people—use food stamps to feed their families. Between 2003 and 2007, the SNAP/Food Stamp program participation grew by 24.5 percent. To make matters worse, the USDA reported that food costs increased at least 6 percent last year. Unfortunately, the amount a low-income family received from SNAP did not. The current program equals to about $1 per meal per person, just $3 a day. Can you image having only $3 a day to feed your family. What would you purchase or forgo at the grocery store? How many meals would you skip?
Schools lift some of the load. Because of the reduced or free lunch programs, low-income parents can at least rest easy during the school year knowing that their children will get lunch. This past summer, some schools offered students who received free lunch the option of continuing the program while school was out. It did help many low-income families.
Growing up in Memphis, I experienced hunger. It got particularly bad when my dad got laid off or when family members—with no where else to go—stayed with us. I don’t remember being on food stamps a child, although I remember receiving government milk and cheese. My parents were considered the working poor. Summers were sometimes the worst. One year it got so bad that we were eating syrup sandwiches because all we had was bread and breakfast syrup. My mother made sure we ate and I remember her not eating two days in a row.
To help those most vulnerable to the current economic crisis, a section of President Obama’s stimulus package includes temporary programs, such as $20 billion to increase food stamp benefits by 13 percent and give extra support for food banks, school lunch programs and WIC. Whether you’re for or against the economic stimulus package, we call can agree that something has to be done to fix America’s economic situation.
While the Senate debates the stimulus package, more families are suffering. Here’s how you can help. The Feeding America program allows you to host food drives in your community by coordinating with a food bank in your area. Also, you can donate money online. According to Feeding America, “every dollar you donate…helps provide 10 pounds of food and grocery products to men, women and children facing hunger in our country.”
For more info: about Feeding America, visit http://feedingamerica.org/default.aspx. Learn more about DeShuna Spencer and emPower magazine.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
Earlier this month, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, an 11-year-old boy from Springfield, Mass., who was bullied for acting “gay,” committed …
It has only been 50 days since President Barack Obama has taken office and some people are already beginning to call him a failure.On Monday’s …
