The number of people qualifying for the food assistance commonly known as food stamps is up by more than 25 percent across the greater Hickory region.
Families that were middle class in the past are contributing heavily the difference, officials said.
"These are people who've never darkened our door before," said John Eller, director of Catawba County Department of Social Services.
The new needy
Jo Sloan manages the county's family support program.
She and her co-workers hear from people who had good jobs until five years ago, and could still make ends meet until the recession took hold. Now they're laid off, working fewer hours or stringing together two or three jobs to support themselves. She thinks people in this new needy population have a harder time asking for help than do traditional food stamp recipients.
"They'll tell you they drained their savings and sold the extra vehicle first," she said.
Sloan doesn't expect the number of food stamp recipients to shrink any time soon.
For a single person or a couple, one unemployment check often can put them over the eligibility limit. So when those benefits expire, the Social Services always sees a surge in applicants.
In the cards
Another factor in swelling food stamp rolls could be a matter of pride, eased by the way the state distributes the assistance.
The stamps aren't actually stamps anymore. They've been replaced by an electronic benefit card.
People who don't use food stamps aren't likely to recognize the card, which looks and works like a credit or debit card.
Its use has helped chisel away at the stigma, Eller said.
The card is far different from the coupons in place when Sloan starting working with Social Services 37 years ago. Recipients often sold the coupons below face value for no-strings-attached cash.
People using the card can buy almost anything edible, in addition to garden seeds and plants for growing food at home. The card can't buy alcoholic drinks, tobacco products, ready-to-eat hot, prepared food or pet food.
Still some to serve
The state considers Catawba County a top performer in helping the people who need it with grocery bills. The numbers say the county is serving more than 100 percent of the eligible. Sloan said that is based on outdated information from the 2000 Census.
She thinks there are eligible people who can't bring themselves to apply, particularly among older county residents. Special rules regulate food assistance for them.
Any other person or family qualifies by making no more than 130 percent above the poverty line. For seniors and the disabled, the state takes medical expenses into account.
No such thing as a free lunch
Federal dollars pay for the food stamp program, which actually helps boost the local economy, Eller said.
In budget year 2009, the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program put $50.36 billion into the food stamp budget.
The 2010 budget calls for $58.28 billion. A Department of Defense appropriations bill awaiting Senate approval adds $400 million.
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