It's a SNAP

In this week's reading, Food Stamp Usage Soars, and Stigma Fades, by Jason DeParle and Robert Gebeloff, the recent increase in food stamp usage is discussed. The nation's growing food stamp program, officially called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), has hit record highs in recent months. The once disparaged program is now feeding one in every eight Americans and one in every four children and the people that once criticized it, have been forced to rely on it. The recent trend in food stamp usage has not been confined to poor, urban areas, as the suburbs have been hit hard. During the recent recession, the majority of the poor living in metropolitan areas, were located in the suburbs. "Use has grown by half or more in dozens of suburban counties from Boston to Seattle, including such bulwarks of modern conservatism as California’s Orange County, where the rolls are up more than 50 percent" (2). Unfortunately, during the 1990's, food stamp usage was scorned and many people who were eligible and needed food stamps, did not receive the benefits. In the latter part of the Clinton administration, continuing into modern day, the program has been revived and more people are not afraid to seek its benefits. Although some people see the program as supporting laziness and motivating people to stay idle and unemployed, in general, the program has helped millions of people nationwide. Some of these people may have not needed the food stamps if they worked as hard as possible, but it cannot be debated that the program has helped starving people throughout the country.

Although there are some negative opinions surrounding the SNAP program, I believe the increased usage is beneficial. The example of the woman in Ohio's Warren County, who owned a Mercedes-Benz and a $300,00 home loan-free, and qualified for a food stamp deserves scorn. But for the most part, there are several stories cited in the article of struggling families, who can barely pay for food, and the food stamp helps them to meet their basic necessities. The name change under the Bush administration was crucial in removing much of the stigma associated with food stamps and has cleared the path for increased usage. Although the program contributes to the federal deficit, the list of people it helps makes it worthwhile. "They include single mothers and married couples, the newly jobless and the chronically poor, longtime recipients of welfare checks and workers whose reduced hours or slender wages leave pantries bare" (1).


Does food stamp usage lead to more positive changes, or does it contribute to much of the nation's laziness?
How can the food stamp program be revised to help only those who really need it?