food stamps

Amber Lakin (front) and colleague Julia Porras work at Central City Concern, an organization that does outreach and job training to combat homelessness and addiction in Portland, Ore. Lakin went through the welfare system and now works with Central City C

20 Years Since Welfare's Overhaul, Results Are Mixed

11:06pm August 22, 2016

The new program did work for millions of families. The idea was that people would be encouraged to find work if they knew their monthly checks would end, but instead, some have been left high and dry.

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Angela Dominguez works for the Income Support Division in Portales, N.M. She's a whistleblower who spoke out about the practice of changing food stamps applications.

National

New Mexico Defrauds The Poor Out Of Food Stamps, Whistleblowers Say

6:38pm July 05, 2016

by Marisa Demarco

When people apply for food stamps, federal law says they should get them in seven days. But in New Mexico, government workers are blowing the whistle on the state doctoring food stamps applications

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Nearly one-third of households on SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, still have to visit a food pantry to keep themselves fed, according to USDA data.

The SNAP Gap: Benefits Aren't Enough To Keep Many Recipients Fed

6:46pm March 03, 2016

by Tracie McMillan

About 23 million American households rely on SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. But nearly one-third of them still have to visit a food pantry to keep themselves fed, according to USDA data.

News

Officials Say Food Insecurity Is A Growing Problem For Seniors And Disabled

6:02pm March 01, 2016

by Keri Brown

The Urban League of Winston-Salem has received funding from the National Council on Aging to enroll 500 people in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP by the end of April.

Health & Safety

Social Service Agencies Bracing For New Food Stamp Law

2:08pm December 28, 2015

by Keri Brown

A new law that impacts food stamp eligibility is about to take effect. About half of the more than 200,000 North Carolina residents will be affected beginning in January.

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The federal food stamps program is working to make sure low-income Americans are getting enough calories, but those calories are less nutritious than what everyone else eats, research finds. The USDA is funding programs to try to bridge that gap, such as

How America's Wealth Gap Shows Up On Our Dinner Plates

10:33am September 20, 2015

by Maria Godoy

People on food stamps on average ate fewer fruits and vegetables and had worse diets than other Americans, a study finds. It reflects the challenges of eating well on limited means.

National

On Welfare? Don't Use The Money For Movies, Say Kansas Lawmakers

8:09pm April 10, 2015

by Pam Fessler

The Legislature has passed a bill that would bar people on public assistance from using cash aid on theme parks, pools and casinos, or from withdrawing more than $25 per day from the ATM.

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A new budget plan that calls for turning food stamps into a block grant program for states could affect stores that accept food stamps through an Electronic Benefits Transfer, or EBT, system like this one in Memphis.

Both Parties Agree The Food Stamp Program Needs To Change. But How?

12:21pm March 20, 2015

by Pam Fessler

Republicans argue the SNAP program would be more efficient if it were run by states. Meanwhile, the Obama administration is funding an initiative to move recipients into jobs.

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These wooden tokens are handed out to shoppers who use SNAP benefits to purchase fresh produce at the Crossroads Farmers Market near Takoma Park, Md. Customers receive tokens worth twice the amount of money withdrawn from their SNAP benefits card — in o

How 'Double Bucks' For Food Stamps Conquered Capitol Hill

12:52pm November 17, 2014

by Dan Charles

The federal government is putting $100 million behind a simple idea: doubling the value of federal food benefits when people use them to buy fresh produce. This idea started small but became a hit.

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Tokens representing $1, which can be used specifically for fresh fruits and vegetables, are displayed at a Electronic Benefits Transfer, or food stamp, station in the GrowNYC Greenmarket in Union Square on September 18, 2013 in New York City.

Two For One: Subsidies Help Food Stamp Recipients Buy Fresh Food

8:14am October 06, 2014

by Allison Aubrey and Dan Charles

There a big new pot of government money available for programs that boost the buying power of food stamps. But there's a catch: The cash has to spent on local fruit and vegetables.