“Edwina” who asked that her name be changed due to HIPAA laws, works for the City of Newburgh as a social worker. She said that since so many of the families she worked with are on SNAP, she was asked to explain the confusing letter to them. “Upon government announcement via letter to SNAP participants, I was given the opportunity to break the news to many of my families due to their lack of understanding of the letter which contained a revised chart of SNAP benefits, hardly the clearest communication form for many,” said Edwina. “The overwhelming response from my participants was that the cuts are inconsequential to their present lifestyle. Amounts previous to the cuts were quite generous for the majority of my families. A family of two, for example a mother and one year-old, has been cut $20 monthly. The cut for a family of four is approximately $36 per month. From my perspective, perhaps the initial benefits were a tad too high? It is common knowledge among inner-city social workers that many bodegas will trade cash for excess food stamps. While I don’t believe the majority participate in that practice, many do. While many might see this as taking from the poor, I’m of the mindset that perhaps the government was correcting too generous of a benefit all along.”
Reeder offers tips for eating healthy for those on SNAP, undertaking the SNAP challenge, or just on a tight budget. Always prepare a shopping list and have a plan, she said. Learn to read unit prices and understand what they mean to avoid overpaying for food. “Know that convenience is costly,” Reeder warns, explaining that buying prepared foods can cost add hundreds of dollars monthly to the grocery tab, whereas preparing meals from scratch is not only far healthier, but will save a lot of money. Don’t pass up the canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, Reeder insists, explaining those foods have identical nutritional value and a better “bang for your buck,” especially when not in season.
When faced with food choices, Reeder suggests an unconventional, albeit useful, approach of “talking” to the food. “If your food can remember where it was born, it is likely to be a better choice. After all, an apple can remember hanging on a tree while a processed fried apple pastry has traveled quite a long distance from ever being on the tree!”
Great article, Good job Carrie, Thank you for taking the time to research the facts. Our Country is in very difficult times but you don’t balance a Federal budget with cutting programs like Food stamps. A large percentage of those that apply for the benefit are working. We can’t get caught up with those that abuse the system. Government needs to do a better job of documenting the need and prosecute those severely (make names public) that take advantage and cheat.