Hunger by the Numbers

This interesting article appeared in the Kansas City Star today. Wednesday, May 30

• The maximum benefit for one person on food stamps is $38.75 a week--that's $5.54 per day or just $1.85 per meal.
• Harvesters (a Kansas City local food network) clients who receive benefits say their monthly allotment lasts just 1 1/2 week.
• 65.4 percent of Harvesters clients shop at supermarkets or grocery stores. 24.5 shop at discount stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Kmart.
• 9.1 percent of food-stamp eligible recipients who have not applied for benefits say they associate a social stigma with food stamps.
• 42.5 percent of those eligible who have not applied think others need the benefits more.
• Among households with at least one child younger than 18, 57.5 percent benefit from the school lunch program and 36.8 percent benefit from the school breakfast program.
• National studies show the average application process for food stamps takes 5 hours of client time and includes multiple trips to the local office.

Source: Local results from hunger in America, 2006