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Food StampsProgram InformationThe number of people receiving food stamps in Sacramento County is beginning to rise again after a substantial decline from 1995 to 2003. In 1995, 165,564 people received food stamps as compared to 103,523 in January 2003. This represents a 37% drop in the number of Food Stamp Program participants over an eight-year period. However participation finally began to rise steadily in 2004, from 103,985 in January to 111,065 in November. Sacramento County statistics reflect a national trend as documented by The Urban Institute. The Urban Institute documents in several reports generated in 2001 that only a small number of families who have left the welfare rolls reported incomes high enough to no longer qualify for food stamps. Yet, participation in the food stamp program has dropped significantly throughout the nation. The Urban Institute reports verify the suspicions of activists who have long suspected that a strong economy is not the only factor for the drop-off in food stamp participation numbers. Rather, as documented in a recent report published by California Food Policy Advocates, people are often confused by the new rules that have been established since the implementation of welfare reform and are wrongly assuming that they are not qualified for food stamps. More recently, however, several factors have converged on both the local and national scene that have resulted in a steady increase in Food Stamp program participation. Certainly the economy has been one factor, with continued high unemployment and a large number of workers stuck in low-wage jobs. There has also been an increased emphasis on outreach, and several significant improvements in the Program at both the national and state levels. Through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, the Hunger Commission conducted an outreach campaign in 2002-2003 to encourage seniors and those who are homeless, two of the most underserved and vulnerable populations, to apply for food stamps. Hunger Commission staff developed flyers explaining the food stamp program, which were distributed to all participants of the home-delivered senior meal program in Sacramento County. In addition, staff facilitated presentations at congregate meal sites to explain how the program works and to link interested seniors with a food stamp eligibility worker who was on-site during the presentation. Outreach to homeless individuals included distribution of an easy to read brochure with a mini can-opener that is very popular with those who are homeless because it is small and easy to carry, and organization of transportation to and from the local Department of Human Assistance office. Between March 2002 and March 2003, participation among seniors in the food stamp program increased 20%. For more information about the Food Stamp Campaign, please contact the Hunger Commission. [Top] ResourcesDuring the program, we created the following resources and they are available to you.
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