What is it?
The federal food stamp program, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program), provides a safety net to millions of
low-income individuals and families by helping them purchase
healthy food. To qualify for assistance, a household must meet
the Food Stamp Program's eligibility rules and poverty
guidelines.
The current average monthly benefit is approximately $133
per person and $288 per household.
Why is it important?
The ability to obtain sufficient food for an active, healthy
life is the most basic of human needs. The mental and physical
effects of inadequate food intake can have detrimental effects
on learning, development, productivity and physical and mental
health. The food stamp program is the Nation’s single most
important intervention in the fight against hunger. The program
provides a critical safety-net for low-income individuals and
families by assisting them with purchasing food through normal
channels.
The food stamp program is highly
flexible and is second only to unemployment in its ability to
respond quickly to economic changes. Less known is the fact that
the food stamp program’s responsiveness classifies it as a
"first responder" in natural emergencies at the local, state and
national level.
Additional information about hunger in
the United States can be found at the Food Research and Action
Center:
U.S Food Stamp Recipients
In April 2010, 18.7 million U.S. households (40.4 million
persons), 1 in every 6 households, received food stamps, an
increase of 20% over the prior year.
Based on the Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys
for 2006-08, just under 60% of families who received food
stamps had children under 18 years of age. Of these families,
approximately 60% were headed by single females.
Florida’s Food Stamp Recipients
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families
(DCF), 1.45 million households (2.7 million residents),
approximately 1 in every 5 Florida households, received food
stamps in June 2010, a 34% increase over the previous year.
Based on American Community Survey data for 2006-08, an
estimated 52% of Florida households who received food stamps
had children under 18 with 56% being headed by single females.
Additional information about Florida’s
food stamp program can be found on the Florida Department of
Children and Families website:
Pinellas County Food Stamp Recipients
The number of Pinellas County food stamp recipients
increased to a new all time high of 69,474 households (118,025
residents) in June 2010, an increase of 38% above a year ago,
with 1 in every 6 households receiving food stamps.
Based on the 2006-08 American Community Surveys, 46% of
the households who received food stamps had children under
18 and 62% of these households were headed by a single
female.
The chart below shows the long-term
trend of Pinellas County and Florida households receiving
food stamps. Clearly, the current recession, which
officially started in December 2007 (official end date not
yet declared), has affected a far greater number of
households than the 2001 recession.
