One In Nine Americans Receiving Food Stamps.
As of this past June, over 35 million Americans are receiving food stamp assistance from the Federal Government. That amounts to 1 in 9 Americans who need help in putting food on the table for their family, which is a pretty scary statistic. And while I realize that there are some who abuse the system (as with anything else, there are always people who take advantage), it really bothers me to know that there are that many people who just cannot make ends meet. Friends I know in major cities talk about the increase in the amount of homeless families they are seeing by the side of the road begging, and the fact that there just aren’t any jobs available, or that they themselves have been unemployed for quite some time. News pundits like to say that things are starting to show signs of recovery (and they might for some), but we obviously have a long way to go when 1 in 9 people are in need of food assistance. What are you seeing in your town? What are you hearing? Are jobs becoming more available or more scarce? Has there been an influx of the homeless on street corners near you? What’s the scoop in your city?
