About On The Dig
2009
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EmailThe November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine released harrowing findings from a 30-year study: 90 percent of African-American children will be on food stamps at some point. The recent recession could force those percentages higher. AP medical reporter Lindsey Tanner digs a little deeper about the findings and reports:
"The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the pervasiveness of youngsters at economic risk. It suggests that almost everyone knows a family who has received food stamps, or will in the future, said lead author Mark Rank, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis."
Those are crazy numbers. But I have to be honest: Food stamps become real appealing to adults when money is tight. In fact, a year after grad school, when the sizzling hot career was slow at getting started, a few friends and I decided to apply for food stamps to fill up the fridge for a month. It helped, but the stress and humiliation we experienced at the Harlem food stamp center was too much for this well-raised, independent guy from Ohio. The workers were viciously condescending and rude. The other applicants were a combo of in-need mothers with children and psychotic crazies in need of a refill on the meds. Not to mention those who were working the system like nobody's business. I vowed never to need food stamps again.
Comments
my post disapear?
That's a pretty high figure...SMH!
The photo for this particular column is very insulting. Are the subjects really waiting for food stamps or is this just a stock photo? It just promotes the negative stereotype of the begging black welfare recipient.
As the link sited in this column points out, a large number of whites have either been on welfare or will have to receive it at some time in their lives. I agree with many of the bloggers here that it is no disgrace to be on welfare. From what I understand, most people only use it for a short time until they can get back on their feet.
Haha... Stress? I never received any stress from being a member of a family that received public assistance for a period of time.
I ate the same things middle-classed Americans ate. What's so humiliating about that?
You want to know what's "stressful"?
Stress is NOT knowing where your next meal is coming from. Humiliation is when you have to go to begging and ill-advised decisions to provide food for your hungry family. Those are stressful situations.
You see... The welfare system has got a bad name because of a select group of individuals who abuse the system (like everything else in America; i.e.-- Credit). However, for that family who is really in a financial crunch, but is doing all that it can to put food on the table and be faithful law-abiding citizens of this country, this program is a good bridge for a period of time until things get better.
The only time I or my family members were ever on the Bridge card a.k.a. food stamps was in college.
It was the best thing ever. If you're a full-time student any source of income isn't counted, so practically everyone I knew in college got a Bridge card. There were people going on spring break to Miami using their Bridge card on vacation for snacks or bottled water.
And now you can use food stamps at Sam's Club and Costco. I've since graduated and have a job, but I wish I could get food stamps. It's practically criminal how much food in grocery stores cost these days.
.........to help when you need it. I have never used them (although came mighty close when we were a young family - husband, me, and our two little ones - many moons ago - and had to move because of job cuts). Looking back I wish I had gotten assitance -- my children would have been fed better cause we ate lots of hotdogs and mac/cheese, and could made one chicken last forever.
But, I will say that my oldest child and his wife and two little ones did get food stamps for a short period of time (we found out - they had not wanted to tell us and we pulled together as a family to assist them so they could come off assistance as soon as possible). We have had many discussions and let them know nothing is shameful if you have the need. We just work together as a family and help them figure out the way back.
So - yea I know people use the system but I also know there a many people who have a need and don't seek out assistance. To those I say I pray they do for their and their childrens (if they have some) health. Both physically and mentally. Stress of not knowing what food you will have can also make you sick.
if you have paid taxes into the system...there is nothing shameful about getting food stamps when you are in need (I've heard about college students getting them...you know how poor college students are). What IS shameful are the idiots who are scamming the system. All the folks who are running game on the system should definitely be punished and not allowed to EVER receive any type of social services from the government.
I've never had to use them but I know people who did. They used them for a little while until they got back on their feet and then stopped. That's how the system is supposed to work. Food stamps are there to help people when the going gets rough. They aren't a permanent thing for you to use your entire life like your own personal grocery dispenser.