THE ISSUE: In response to a steadily increasing number of state residents depending on food assistance programs to keep their families fed, state officials have worked to make it easier for households to qualify and requalify for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and that has led to a record number of recipients.
STORY SO FAR: As the national and state economies continue to struggle to get back on their feet, more area residents than ever are relying on SNAP to feed themselves and their families.
According to Paulette Song, deputy communications director of the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services, the number of SNAP participants is on the rise.
The most recent statistics regarding program participants, Song said, show a month-by-month comparison from November 2008 to November 2009. According to that study, in November 2008, 4,737 households and 8,720 individuals across Hampshire County were enrolled in the program. Just one year later, 6,270 households and 11,207 individuals relied on SNAP.
That represents a 28 percent increase in individuals and a 32 percent increase in households across Hampshire County.
WHAT’S HAPPENING: The New York Times recently completed a study, following a stock market collapse in the fall of 2008, that looked at enrollment in food assistance programs by state and by county. According to an interactive map on the newspaper’s website, the number of participants in Hampshire County has steadily risen since then. According to the study, between 2007 and 2009 participation in the program jumped 41 percent.
Robin Claremont, development and communications manager at the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, noted that the study showed enrollment is relatively level across counties in the western half of the state.
The state Department of Transitional Assistance, which processes all Pioneer Valley applications, says that it is still seeing 500 new online applications per month. Statewide, the DTA estimates that there are about 20,000 new SNAP recipients each month.
SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, requires that residents apply locally to receive an electronic card that is then used like an ATM card to buy food at most grocery stores and some farmers markets. Households must meet eligibility requirements and provide information about — and verification of — their household circumstances.
WHAT’S AHEAD: State officials are continuing to spread the word about the SNAP program, and are passing legislation that will make it easier for food-insecure households to take part, Song said.
Massachusetts distributes $90 million each month in SNAP benefits, which are fully reimbursed by the federal government. To reach residents who may not know they qualify, state-funded outreach programs are seeking out low-income families and educating them about the benefits of participating and where to sign up. These same programs are also educating participants about finding essential nutrients in affordable food items and maintaining a healthy diet. The outreach programs, according to the office’s website, are working, showing that enrollment among targeted groups, such as senior citizens, rose significantly between 2008 and 2009.
RESOURCES: The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has a SNAP outreach program, in collaboration with the DTA, to assist with application assistance. Residents with questions about the program are encouraged to call the food bank’s SNAP outreach coordinator at (413) 247-9738 x142.
Other local SNAP offices have a toll-free number (866) 950-3663) for people looking to get information.
Residents can also visit the program’s website: http://www.mass.gov/snap. To view an interactive map showing SNAP enrollment by county, visit http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009-foodstamps.html.
— OWEN BOSS
Issue tracker is a regular feature of the Gazette. To suggest a topic, contact Phoebe Mitchell by phone at 585-5249 or by email at pmitchell@gazettenet.com.
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