State Food Stamp d
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ispersals are the largest ever.
By Deb
"You must have loved the poor people," Tevye
addressed God during the musical Fiddler on the
Roof. "Why else would you make so many of them?
Other Biblical references point to the virtues of
poverty. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven," Christ said in the Sermon
on the Mount. And in another reference, He said, "It
is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a
needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of
God."
But many Americans aren't content with their
poverty when they are competing with a shrinking
dollar and rising food costs.
So, in 1967 the United States government
intervened to help give its poor its daily bread. The
result was the food stamp program, administered by
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which helped
feed 50,000 people its first year.
One of 1 2 Americans
Since 1967, the program has snowballed into the
largest welfare program in our nation's history.
According to recent estimates, one out of 12
Americans will use food stamps, this year.
And in Nebraska the program grows each month.
In December, 15,670 households in the state received
food stamps. That total increased to 16,183
households in January.
That total is the largest number of people receiving
food stamps in Nebraska's history, according to
Russell Wallace, director of the Nebraska food stamp
program.
Wallace attributed this increase to two factors:
The rising rate of unemployment and the time of
year. More food stamps are issued during winter, he
said, because increased employment opportunities are
available during summer.
Lancaster County showed a slight decrease in the
number of households receiving food stamps last
month, according to Wallace. In December 1,229
households participated, compared with 1,176
households in January.
More are eligible
The actual number of persons receiving food
stamps in Lancaster County during the last two
months was 3,441 persons in December and 3,337 in
January, Wallace said.
"That really isn't much of a drop, and it isn't
indicative of anything. The total of recipients usually
fluctuates one way or the other every month," he
said.
One problem in administering a welfare program is
defining poverty. The Senate Select Committee on
Nutrition and Human Needs defines a poor person as
one who lacks the resources to purchase a
nutritionally adequate diet. By their standards, 25 to
27 million Americans are officially poor.
Although no estimates are available on the number
of students in Lancaster County who are eligible for
food stamps, several employes in state welfare offices
and food stamp recipients said there are many more
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Photo by Steve Boerner.
people eligible for food stamps than are now receiving
them.
"It's hard to determine these figures, but there's
many, many people eligible for stamps who don't
care to participate in me piugiam, vvauace saia.
Advertising not needed
Although some groups such as the Committee on
Nutrition and Human Needs have campaigned to alert
millions of American poor they are eligible for
welfare, Wallace doesn't feel this is necessary.
"Food stamps have been in the papers since 1965.
I can't believe that there's anyone in the state who
isn't aware of them. It's a popular subject and it's
continually in the papers," he said.
Although most everyone is aware of food stamps,
not everyone knows qualifications for the program.
Here's how a student living alone or a student who
cooks his own. meals in a house with other roommates
can qualify for food stamps. Totals increase for a
house of two or more students.
A person's eligibility depends on two things: His
monthly income and the amount of money in savings
or other assets.
Income below $194
A person applying for food stamps must have less
than $1,500 in savings. Household goods, cars, and
tools necessary for employment are not assessed in
that total.
A student's adjusted income must be below $194 a
month. If a person makes more than that, he could be
eligible anyway.
Tuition, mandatory fees, and housing and utility
bills that exceed 30 per cent of the student's income
are deductable from his monthly income, Wallace
said.
Food stamps are redeemable for any edible item.
Alcohol, cigarettes, paper and cleaning supplies are
not included.
Because of another federal regulation, fewer
students will qualify for the program after March 10,
Wallace said. In January, welfare offices received a
directive from the Department of Agriculture to
exclude students who are claimed as tax deductions
and whose parents are not members of an eligible
household.
Graduated scale
The amount you pay for food stamps and the
amount of food you can buy with these stamps is
figured on a graduated scale depending upon
individual income and the size of the family, Wallace
said.
The following examples, which are totals for one
person, are taken from the top, middle and bottom of
the income scale. Because a person is one income
bracket, Wallace said, that is no indication he'll be in
that same position the next month. If a student has
high expenses one month-like tuition or medical
bills-he could be dropped into a lower income
bracket for that month.
Income You Pay Worth
$0-$ 19.99 0 $46
$100-$ 109.99 $18.00 $46
$190-$ 194 $36.00 $46
. . . ignorance
(Continued from p. 1)
33-county area of Eastern Nebraska. There is also a
field office in Grand Island which oversees the
remaining 60 Nebraska counties.
Although synonomous with counties, Moore said,
his office refers to each county as a "food stamp
project."
He explained that the food stamp program is
operated by the federal, state and county
governments. The state and county governments are
responsible for the distribution of the food stamps,
he said.
Normally, the field office does not deal with
individual cases, Moore said. Only when thy a-e
conducting studies or investigations will his office
contact individual participants.
The field office is directly under the supervision of
a district office which in turn is under a regional
office in Chicago. The Chicago office is directly
answerable to Washington, Moore said.
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The Physical Fitness Research Laboratory is conducting research on epilepsy.
Our staff would appreciate help from interested students with epilepsy or
convulsive disorders. Interested? For more information, please call 472-2297.
There's no obligation.
Physical Fitness Research Laboratory
James Moore, director of the
food stamp field office.
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page 8
daily nebraskan
Wednesday, february 26, 1S75