Today's Valley Breeze highlighted Project Hope's new substance abuse recovery coach program.
Click to read.
Tis free and open to anyone in need of support!
Click to read.
Tis free and open to anyone in need of support!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Oh SNAP!
Easy to swipe. Looks like every other bank card. No one knows. The EBT card - a stigma free way to fill an empty pantry when purses are bare.
Photo Cred: RI Food Stamp Outreach Project
Soaring unemployment rates in RI and beyond have made the federal government's food stamp program a increasingly popular resource. As an easily accessible benefit involving limited hoop-jumping, SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) is often the one saving grace that struggling families and individuals can rely on. A large number of the clients I talk to everyday are jobless and receive no income from the state - their extended benefits have expired, SSI is still in application, or they're still stumbling through paperwork and bureaucratic potholes. However, when asked if they receive food stamps, most of these individuals do answer a resounding and sigh-filled YES. The average RI household receives $216 a month.
In 2009, Rhode Island SNAP recipients increased by 31%. One in 10 households now use food stamps to help towards groceries. (Thanks to RI Community Food Bank for these STATS) A large part of this has to do with increasing need of course, but also with increased outreach. The SNAP Outreach Project out of URI creatively infiltrates communities around the state, even sending reps to the farmer's markets. This past fall I paid for a weekly farmer's basket from the Armory market with my EBT benefit. The tastiest/freshest/ local produce exploded out of my fridge all season - thanks SNAP.
Nutrition Assistance is available to anyone who meets eligibility requirements. SNAP offers a continuous funding stream, sending more and more people to the grocery market every day it operates. As more Americans trickle through the produce section and peruse the bread aisle, more and more Americans are employed to replace the empty loaf shelves and vegetable coolers. As more Americans hit the registers, more dollars float into the economic wind-stream. SNAP takes on a cyclical role with these cause-effect scenarios. The program proves to be more than a bottomless cup of joe...it's a brilliant social creation that carries potential to provide our economy just the caffeinated jump-start it requires.
An interesting story recently appeared in the NY Times re: SNAP. Definitely worth a read. Check it out. Thanks to Mary for sharing!
Photo Cred: RI Food Stamp Outreach ProjectIn 2009, Rhode Island SNAP recipients increased by 31%. One in 10 households now use food stamps to help towards groceries. (Thanks to RI Community Food Bank for these STATS) A large part of this has to do with increasing need of course, but also with increased outreach. The SNAP Outreach Project out of URI creatively infiltrates communities around the state, even sending reps to the farmer's markets. This past fall I paid for a weekly farmer's basket from the Armory market with my EBT benefit. The tastiest/freshest/ local produce exploded out of my fridge all season - thanks SNAP.
Nutrition Assistance is available to anyone who meets eligibility requirements. SNAP offers a continuous funding stream, sending more and more people to the grocery market every day it operates. As more Americans trickle through the produce section and peruse the bread aisle, more and more Americans are employed to replace the empty loaf shelves and vegetable coolers. As more Americans hit the registers, more dollars float into the economic wind-stream. SNAP takes on a cyclical role with these cause-effect scenarios. The program proves to be more than a bottomless cup of joe...it's a brilliant social creation that carries potential to provide our economy just the caffeinated jump-start it requires.
An interesting story recently appeared in the NY Times re: SNAP. Definitely worth a read. Check it out. Thanks to Mary for sharing!
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