SNAP Attacks

Lately, I’ve been disappointed to see so much negative press attacking the SNAP (aka 3SquaresVT or food stamps) throughout the country.  It is hard to understand why a program that protects so many from the harmful effects of poverty is under such scrutiny.

More than 46 million Americans, including 96,000 Vermonters, are currently enrolled in the SNAP program which is the nation’s first line of defense against hunger and the cornerstone of the nutrition safety-net.  SNAP has an extremely low rate of fraud and a much higher accuracy rate than other federal benefit programs.  It is proven to decrease hunger and food insecurity and improve health outcomes by providing targeted benefits to very low-income people to specifically purchase food for their households.  SNAP responds quickly to economic downturns and natural disasters making it one of the most effective safety-net programs during the recent recession and weather related disasters, providing families with a stable source of food even as jobs were lost or homes were flooded.

The sad reality is that too many of us are only a few paychecks or a catastrophic illness away from needing assistance.  In too many instances in Vermont the face of hunger and malnutrition are children in families with working parents.  The vast majority of people on SNAP use it as it is intended; as a springboard to get back on their feet when times are tough.  The average time people spend on food stamps is nine months.  Instead of shaming people who do everything they can to stay healthy and productive, we should celebrate that our government values supporting citizens at their most vulnerable times in life.