Ohio Food Stamp Rates Soar to Desperate Levels

by Spence Cooper on 02/06/09 at 9:27 am

Food Stamps on the Rise

The federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provided food stamps to over 30Million Americans in February — the highest number on record in the program’s history. In Ohio’s most populated county, 1 out of every 7 people received food stamps in the month of February, a rise of 8 percent from a year ago, while in Ohio statewide, 16 percent more people received food stamps compared to last year.

“Statewide, the number of people served at Ohio food pantries increased 29 percent in March compared with the same month last year,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, reports the Toledo Free Press.

“A lot of our growth has been in our offices that serve suburban areas,” said Joe Gauntner, director of Cuyahoga County Employment & Family Services in Ohio. “We’re seeing many families that have never come to us before.”