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Survey Results From Federal Food Programs

Many eligible women, infants, and children are not able to receive WIC benefits.

Despite expansion in recent years WIC serves only 16.3% or 6,032 eligible women, infants and children in Sacramento. Statewide WIC serves an average of 26% of those eligible. In Sacramento, an additional 31,087 needy women, infants and children remain unserved.

WIC (Special Supplemental Feeding Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is a program designed to provide nutritious foods, counseling and referrals to health care to low-income pregnant women, nursing mothers, and young children. Participants in the program must be low-income and at nutritional risk. WIC provides monthly vouchers for foods specifically chosen to provide nutrients usually missing from the diets of low-income women and children. In Sacramento, WIC is available through the County Health Department and the YWCA.

Numerous studies have shown the benefits of the WIC program which include a reduction in the fetal mortality rate, a decrease in the incidence of low birth weight babies, and decreased numbers of pre-term deliveries. WIC has also been shown to be cost effective. One study shows that for every one dollar spent on the prenatal component of WIC, UP to three dollars were saved in hospital costs of low-birth weight babies.

The central source of public food assistance if the Food Stamp Program but many low-income people do not get food stamps.

Those surveyed at emergency food sites report receiving food stamps in amounts ranging from $10 to $242 a month. The average amount was $87. In the majority of cases reported in the survey, food stamps were used up within the first two to two and one-half weeks after receiving them. Thirty-one (31 %) of those receiving emergency food appear to be income eligible but do not receive stamps.

Reasons given by potential food stamp eligibles for not receiving food stamps

Of the survey respondents, 69 appeared income eligible for food stamps but were not receiving them. Respondents gave the following reasons for not receiving food stamps:

Although almost 10% of county residents receive food stamps, more than thirty thousand people who appear income eligible do not get food stamps. The average value of food stamps received per person in Sacramento County is $32.85 per month.

The Food Stamp Program is the only federal program which is intended to serve the entire family unit. It has become an important tool in the fight against domestic hunger -the largest single program, in fact. The federal government pays the entire cost of the food stamps themselves, and shares half of the cost of administering the program in the states.

Food Stamps are coupons that can be used like money to buy food, seeds, and plants to grow food. They cannot be used to purchase tobacco, alcoholic beverages, pet food, or other non- food items. In California individuals with disabilities or low-income seniors who receive SSI (Supplemental Security Income) receive their Food Stamp benefits as part of their monthly check.

Eligibility for the Food Stamp Program if based on the income and resources of the household. The amount of Food Stamps allotted to a household is determined by the number of people in the household and the income they receive. The food stamp allocation assumes that a portion of the household's income is available to use for food purchases. Food stamps are intended only to be a supplement to that income.

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