Things that make you shake your head!

[mom2val]

I look at it this way- if they want to eat Ramen for the rest of the month and spend the rest of their stamps on candy, they aren't hurting anyone but themselves. It's their choice.

That's fine if the adults are eating Ramen all month but what about the kids? Is there real food for them? Fresh fruits, vegs, milk??

 

[C.Ann]

Same here. I really don't get the outrage that people on food stamps sometimes want to have some little "normal" thing.

I have a friend who just rants and raves over people on food stamps buying freezer pizzas, popcorn, soda, etc. and I just want to shake her A mutual friend (who is on food stamps, but the judgmental one doesn't know that) of ours does just that with her kids every Friday night in place of going out to the movies, going to the zoo, taking them to the pool, and all those other family-time things she's had to eliminate to get by on her unemployment checks. I just can't get worked up over seeing a parent hold onto that little something special at a time when they're doing with so many of the things the kids used to enjoy.

Food stamp benefits aren't especially generous, except perhaps by budget board standards. My friend gets about $700/mo for her family of six. She has to pinch pennies on a few other meals to make sure they have the $20 for that Friday night splurge, and she thinks it is worth it. Who am I to say otherwise?

I agree.. Who here wants to play God and put restrictions on the types of foods that others can purchase?

Our tax dollars and health insurance premiums are also going through the roof due to the exhorbitant costs associated with obesity.. Is anyone here willing to allow the government to accompany you to the grocery store and deem what is "healthy" and what isn't? What you can purchase and what you can't?

And how about the many, many parents here on the DIS who often say, "My child can only eat "XYZ" due to "sensory" issues - otherwise they will vomit, choke, etc.?" What if the foods that your child can eat aren't deemed "healthy" by the food police?

What do we know about this "candy story" other than a wisp of a conversation that was overheard by another shopper? Was this for a neighborhood party? A party at a shelter? Places where someone else was also going to bring other food items that might be deemed appropriate?

Do we really want to go down this road where the government restricts the actions of everyone?? Be careful what you wish for.. There may come a day when someone in your family requires the assistance of food stamps and due to health issues (chemotherapy comes to mind) may only be able to tolerate foods that you have encouraged the government to not allow because they're "sugary" - items many chemo patients need in order to gain and/or maintain their weight..

We all pay taxes.. There are abuses in every form of government.. There always will be..

I don't care to play God with other peoples lives - and I'm sure not going to give myself a stroke worrying about what someone else has in their grocery cart, why they have it, what they're going to do with it, and how they're paying for it..

If you want to worry about something, worry about our men and women being killed in wars - funded by your tax dollars.. There's a lot more of your money being spent there - than on "candy" or "non-healthy" foods that food stamp recipients may or may not be buying..

 

[disney*mom*82]

What really bothers me is going to the check out line and having a family with 1 cart FULL of food, mostly junk like chips, soda, candy, kool aid, frozen dinners, etc. Then they have the next transaction that is huge bags of dog food, cigarettes, beer, etc.

It is bad enough that they dont spend the money wisely, but if they cant afford their own food, why the other stuff?

DH and I are both teachers. We are a family of 5. I go shopping once a week and spend around $40-$60. Thats it. I ad match, use coupons, know what we will eat all week and have it planned out, etc. Sure, it would be nice to have $500-$600 a month given to you in groceries, but I dont know what I would even do with that much food month after month.

Ill end my rant here.

 

[vroomagain]

Sure, it would be nice to have $500-$600 a month given to you in groceries, but I dont know what I would even do with that much food month after month.

So what would you do with that much money just for food?

The person's income determines how much money they get in food stamps, not the person. If someone doesn't use all of their food stamps for one month it is rolled over to the next month and then the next. I remember spending $200 a month in groceries and eating well, we applied for food stamps to help with child care costs and I prayed for $50 in food stamps and we got approved for $400!! You bet I was buying steak, soda, chips and ice cream. It can be difficult to adjust your shopping habits and it seems you can't win in society. If you buy junk you are a slob, if you buy organics or steaks how dare you be eating better than people who worked hard for their money (we worked btw). So you budget normally and have a bunch of left over money to throw a huge candy Halloween party or you throw some junk in your cart each week.

 

[brenalexacamp]

Don't even get me started! I have to tell the parents their poor kiddos have a mouthful of cavities- they need to go to the hospital for sedation!

And their resposes? "medicaid will cover this right?" ya!! 8 thousand dollars worth of work and put the poor baby through that because if it's free it's o.k.

The last kid I had-I had to blatently show the mother a picture of healthy teeth and point- "so when did you first notice your son's teeth did not look like THIS anymore!" If your kid has yellow spots on his teeth, then change to brown, black, and then broken to the gumline-with two infections over the front teeth-bleedy and pus! you have the nerve to ask if it's FREE!

 

[BoogasMom]

Well after they are done eating their candy and not brushing their teeth, they can go to the dentist for free with my tax dollars.

Ha-Ha!!!!

 

[jedijill]

One point---just because they pull out a card doesn't necessarily mean people are on food stamps. In Missouri, child support payments (cash) are put on the card and the transaction is exactly the same as if they use food stamps to pay. The cardholder selects which account (if they have both) to use to pay for the order. The only way I could tell (as a cashier) if they were using foodstamps was if they had a non-qualified item and I got a cash total on the register to collect.

Jill in CO

 

[disney*mom*82]

[QUOTEIf someone doesn't use all of their food stamps for one month it is rolled over to the next month and then the next. I remember spending $200 a month in groceries and eating well, we applied for food stamps to help with child care costs and I prayed for $50 in food stamps and we got approved for $400!! You bet I was buying steak, soda, chips and ice cream. It can be difficult to adjust your shopping habits and it seems you can't win in society.QUOTE]


Well in my opinion, does it really matter if all the money isnt used for the month? Will it effect how much you get later or something? If not, why just blow the remaining money just because its there. I dont expect the people that need to use food stamps to buy only the necessities and nothing else. I would expect them to buy as they would if this was their hard earned money to spend. I dont buy carts full of name brand items, $100 plus on candy, top pick meats, etc. I buy what is a good deal, what we need, etc. Then if we have a little extra money I can buy ice cream, snacks, etc. But just because DH says he budgeted $100 for the week in groceries and I only spent $60 that Im going to go throw extra junk in the cart just to meet that $100. KWIM?

 

[BoogasMom]

Is anyone here willing to allow the government to accompany you to the grocery store and deem what is "healthy" and what isn't? What you can purchase and what you can't?

If the government doesn't provide my money to pay for the food I buy, then they have no right to tell me what to buy. If they provide the money (really WE do) then the government should definitely have the right to tell them how to spend it and what to spend it on!!!

Do we really want to go down this road where the government restricts the actions of everyone?? Be careful what you wish for.. There may come a day when someone in your family requires the assistance of food stamps and due to health issues (chemotherapy comes to mind) may only be able to tolerate foods that you have encouraged the government to not allow because they're "sugary" - items many chemo patients need in order to gain and/or maintain their weight..

As a former cancer patient who received extremely high doses of chemotherapy which made me not only lose weight but become VERY sick, I have to ask what "sugary items" are you referring to that chemo patients need????

Most times, I couldn't stomach ANY type of food or liquid, let alone anything sugary. That statement makes no sense to me.

 

[kmvand1]

frankly, we are looking at 5 minutes of that person's entire life. Do you know ANYTHING about them?

Two phrases come to mind:

"judge not, lest ye be judged" and MYOB.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[taymaesmom]

What makes me the maddest about food stamps is that they can use them on any food item in a gas station. So they can go in and get fountain sodas and icees! I see it everyday when I go in. Grown men swiping their food stamp card for 2 candy bars and an icee but I work in their kids school and see how deprived their kids are. It makes me so angry. The other day some man got mad at the cashier because he couldn't buy nachos with food stamps.

There is also a pizza place in town that sells their pizzas cold (its a take and bake place) and you can use food stamps there too! So wrong.

 

[Colleen27]

If the government doesn't provide my money to pay for the food I buy, then they have no right to tell me what to buy. If they provide the money (really WE do) then the government should definitely have the right to tell them how to spend it and what to spend it on!!!

I don't think any good can come from going down that road. Our govt has a terrible track record on food/health advice - just look at what passes for healthy, balanced meals in any public school cafeteria and ask yourself if they're really up to the task of drawing a line between healthy and unhealthy.

 

[chewbacca]

My DH had a good idea. He said the government should build stores that you can only use your food stamp card in that store. It should be filled with only food for good nutrition. No sugary snacks, drinks, or candy. Of course that will never happen b/c some bleeding heart will say that you are taking away their right to where they can shop or you will be offending someone!

 

[rie'smom]

I look at it this way- if they want to eat Ramen for the rest of the month and spend the rest of their stamps on candy, they aren't hurting anyone but themselves.

Same here. I really don't get the outrage that people on food stamps sometimes want to have some little "normal" thing.

It's the idea, at least to me, that the $175 could have been spent on healthy food for the children. For many on food stamps, that's more than half of a monthly allotment of stamps.

IMPLICATIONS OF RESTRICTING THE USE OF FOOD STAMP BENEFITS
Introduction
By most standards, almost all American diets are in need of improvement, and obesity has
emerged as the Nation’s most pressing health and nutrition issue. Because of concerns about
poor diet, overweight, and obesity among low-income Americans, there is considerable interest
in using Federal nutrition assistance programs to promote healthy choices. Some argue that food
stamp recipients should be prohibited from using their benefits to buy foods with limited
nutritional value (commonly described as “junk” foods).1 The Food Stamp Act currently places
few limits on the use of food stamp benefits, as long as they are used to buy food to eat at home.
The idea of restricting the use of food stamp benefits may be appealing on its face. However,
upon closer examination, serious concerns emerge regarding the feasibility and rationale for the
proposed restriction.
• No clear standards exist to define foods as good or bad, or healthy or not healthy;
• Food restrictions would pose major implementation challenges and increase program
complexity and costs;
• Restrictions may not change the nature of participants’ food purchases;
• No evidence exists which indicates that food stamp benefits directly contribute to poor food
choices and negative dietary outcomes, such as obesity.
Making Distinctions among Foods
It is not a simple task to draw a bright line between foods that contribute to a healthy diet and
those that do not. Common sense suggests avoiding foods that are low in nutrients but high insome combination of calories, fats, added sugars, and salt. In practice, however, drawing thedistinction between healthy and unhealthy foods is far more difficult.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid, the American Dietetic Association, and
most nutritionists take a total diet approach to communicate healthful eating advice, placing
emphasis on the overall pattern of food eaten, rather than any one food or meal. Mainstream
nutrition guidance embodies the concept that “there are no bad foods, only bad diets.” Thus, the
most common advice is to “go easy” on or limit foods with limited nutritional value and stay
1

1 word-BOLOGNA.
They have limits on what is allowed to be purchased with WIC. I know because many years ago I was on it and today the standards are the same. The food allowed is healthy-no sugar cereals, real cheese, etc. The truth is they don't want to tick off constituents.

How hard would it be to copy the WIC standards and paste them onto the food stamp website? Hell, I'd do it for free. Announce it on tv and radio, have articles in the paper, shoot emails to the chain stores' corporate offices and let them inform their stores. You can be absolutely sure that if they want to get the message out, they could.

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

IMPLICATIONS OF RESTRICTING THE USE OF FOOD STAMP BENEFITS
Introduction
By most standards, almost all American diets are in need of improvement, and obesity has
emerged as the Nation’s most pressing health and nutrition issue. Because of concerns about
poor diet, overweight, and obesity among low-income Americans, there is considerable interest
in using Federal nutrition assistance programs to promote healthy choices. Some argue that food
stamp recipients should be prohibited from using their benefits to buy foods with limited
nutritional value (commonly described as “junk” foods).1 The Food Stamp Act currently places
few limits on the use of food stamp benefits, as long as they are used to buy food to eat at home.
The idea of restricting the use of food stamp benefits may be appealing on its face. However,
upon closer examination, serious concerns emerge regarding the feasibility and rationale for the
proposed restriction.
• No clear standards exist to define foods as good or bad, or healthy or not healthy;
• Food restrictions would pose major implementation challenges and increase program
complexity and costs;
• Restrictions may not change the nature of participants’ food purchases;
• No evidence exists which indicates that food stamp benefits directly contribute to poor food
choices and negative dietary outcomes, such as obesity.
Making Distinctions among Foods
It is not a simple task to draw a bright line between foods that contribute to a healthy diet and
those that do not. Common sense suggests avoiding foods that are low in nutrients but high in
some combination of calories, fats, added sugars, and salt. In practice, however, drawing the
distinction between healthy and unhealthy foods is far more difficult.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, MyPyramid, the American Dietetic Association, and
most nutritionists take a total diet approach to communicate healthful eating advice, placing
emphasis on the overall pattern of food eaten, rather than any one food or meal. Mainstream
nutrition guidance embodies the concept that “there are no bad foods, only bad diets.” Thus, the
most common advice is to “go easy” on or limit foods with limited nutritional value and stay
1

You beat me to it! I was going to quote that site...

I agree.. Who here wants to play God and put restrictions on the types of foods that others can purchase?

Our tax dollars and health insurance premiums are also going through the roof due to the exhorbitant costs associated with obesity.. Is anyone here willing to allow the government to accompany you to the grocery store and deem what is "healthy" and what isn't? What you can purchase and what you can't?

And how about the many, many parents here on the DIS who often say, "My child can only eat "XYZ" due to "sensory" issues - otherwise they will vomit, choke, etc.?" What if the foods that your child can eat aren't deemed "healthy" by the food police?

What do we know about this "candy story" other than a wisp of a conversation that was overheard by another shopper? Was this for a neighborhood party? A party at a shelter? Places where someone else was also going to bring other food items that might be deemed appropriate?

Do we really want to go down this road where the government restricts the actions of everyone?? Be careful what you wish for.. There may come a day when someone in your family requires the assistance of food stamps and due to health issues (chemotherapy comes to mind) may only be able to tolerate foods that you have encouraged the government to not allow because they're "sugary" - items many chemo patients need in order to gain and/or maintain their weight..

We all pay taxes.. There are abuses in every form of government.. There always will be..

I don't care to play God with other peoples lives - and I'm sure not going to give myself a stroke worrying about what someone else has in their grocery cart, why they have it, what they're going to do with it, and how they're paying for it..

I totally agree.

It is my job to work with Food Stamp families and teach them
basic nutrition, budgeting, label reading, meal planning,
how to save money at the grocery store, and basic cooking skills,
as well as how to deal with picky eaters, how to choose healthy snacks
that are cheap (under $1), the importance of exercise,
and how to safely handle food to prevent illness, etc.
I do a lot of coaching and mentoring of these families.

The SNAP-Ed (SNAP is the new name for Food Stamps - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Ed. is for Education- how to use them.) program is FREE and available in all 50 states, but it is not mandatory.

I work either in groups or one-on-one with people in their homes to teach them how to eat more healthfully on food stamps.
For every $1.00 we spend to educate someone $10.67 is saved in health care costs down the road.

I agree that it is frustrating to witness the candy episode.
Go to your superwalmart on the first day of the month and see the buggies piled up with frozen foods and it is much the same.

Part of the problem is that a lot of folks are growing up in homes
where no real cooking is going on.
All some people know is how to heat and eat.
They don't know what to do with a bag of beans or potatoes or raw chicken.
The most commonly eaten vegetable dish in the US is french fries. seriously.

Another issue is that people who grew up in generational poverty (parents grew up on food stamps too) have a completely different value set.
If you've ever wondered why the family paying for groceries with food stamps
is wearing the newest fashionable brand name clothing you might want to read:
A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Dr. Ruby Payne
http://www.amazon.com/Framework-Understanding-Poverty-Ruby-Payne/dp/1929229143

I try to coach people through experience-
I guide them through making a healthy recipe and the family gets to taste it.
Tasting is believing.

But just a thought, folks:
I love your perspective and the way you stand up for what is right.
Consider giving of your time to volunteer in your community to mentor the kids of some of these families.
Right now in my own community we also have youth programs that are available to reach out to these kids, but we are lacking in volunteers.
Last year we worked with the 4-H program,
and while I worked with mothers in the local low income apartment complex community room,
we had youth and adults mentoring the kids in an adjacent room.
This program had an enormous impact, not just on the parents, but on the kids.

Programs like this cannot happen without people, volunteers, to make them happen.
Besides my 40 hours a week teaching with SNAP-Ed, I also work with 4-H teens in my free time.
But this year we lost our 4-H agent, and we are in a hiring freeze,
and we are desperately in need of adult and teen volunteers.

Many hands make lighter work.
While I'm pretty sure that none of you can help out our local program
in your locality there are real needs that are probably going unmet.

Please, if you feel strongly about this subject, consider giving a little of your time as a Resource Mother at your local Health Department (mentors young low income mothers) or call your local Cooperative Extension to ask about volunteering with 4-H or your local SNAP-Ed program.

I agree the the system is rife with problems, but it is so unrealistic to expect the government to solve all these problems.
Be the change you want to see in the world.

 

[beansmom]

One point---just because they pull out a card doesn't necessarily mean people are on food stamps. In Missouri, child support payments (cash) are put on the card and the transaction is exactly the same as if they use food stamps to pay. The cardholder selects which account (if they have both) to use to pay for the order. The only way I could tell (as a cashier) if they were using foodstamps was if they had a non-qualified item and I got a cash total on the register to collect.

Jill in CO

good point, Jill. Unemployment ALSO goes on a debit card.

As i said before, we watched 5 mins of the movie and we are sure 'whodunit'.

And to the dentist is really upset about it...not ALL dental problems are caused by poor hygiene and bad food choices. Genetics DOES play a part there, too.

 

[here757]

good point, Jill. Unemployment ALSO goes on a debit card.

As i said before, we watched 5 mins of the movie and we are sure 'whodunit'.

And to the dentist who takes numerous trips to Disney on Medicaid dollars and is really upset about it...not ALL dental problems are caused by poor hygiene and bad food choices. Genetics DOES play a part there, too.

here in VA.. the food stamp card , the unemployment card , and the child support card all have very different looks.

unemployment and and child support can be deposited directly to the users bank account

 

[Colleen27]

My DH had a good idea. He said the government should build stores that you can only use your food stamp card in that store. It should be filled with only food for good nutrition. No sugary snacks, drinks, or candy. Of course that will never happen b/c some bleeding heart will say that you are taking away their right to where they can shop or you will be offending someone!

No, it would never happen because it adds MASSIVE costs to the program and is bound to create problems with access. The govt would not only have the actual food expense but also real estate, labor costs, insurance, utilities, etc. for all those stores. And there'd be no practical way to build enough of them for everyone who needs them to have reasonable access; the numbers just wouldn't make sense in rural areas (not going to build a store for a handful of customers) or in suburbia where it would certainly become a NIMBY zoning issue.

Right now poor families in my town have two grocery stores right in town, within easy walking distance of about 90% of neighborhoods, which is good because sharing a single car or not having one at all is fairly common these days even though we have no public transportation. It is a town of 5000 with a higher-than-average poverty rate right now because we're so heavily dependent on construction and the auto industry. Do you think the govt would build a store here for the 70 or 80 families that get food stamps, or would they have the same 30 mile (one way) trip up to the county seat that keeps so many from taking advantage of workforce training, sliding-scale medical and dental clinics, school supply giveaways, etc.?

 

[C.Ann]

As a former cancer patient who received extremely high doses of chemotherapy which made me not only lose weight but become VERY sick, I have to ask what "sugary items" are you referring to that chemo patients need????

Most times, I couldn't stomach ANY type of food or liquid, let alone anything sugary. That statement makes no sense to me.

Your experience does not mean that everyone else has had - or will have - the same experiences.. My dear friend spent years battling cancer - on and off chemo.. The longest period of time she wasn't having chemo was probably 3 to 4 months at a time.. There were many "healthy" foods she couldn't tolerate at all.. There were times that all she could eat was pudding and cream pies.. Other times she lived off of soda.. For 8 months straight all she could eat was Chinese take-out.. Shortly before she died she was living off of Twinkies and ice cream.. On the other hand, my cousin - who just died from cancer a few weeks ago - was living on Pepsi - until she could no longer tolerate anything at all and required IV feedings..

People always tend to generalize when subjects like this come up.. Paint everyone with the same broad brush..

If we allow the government to dictate what types of food people on food stamps can purchase, you're starting down a very slippery slope.. The other reasons were listed in my previous post, so I won't bother to repeat them again.. I am not God - nor do I want to "play" God.. If others do, I pray they never find themselves in any of the situations I mentioned previously..

On a happier note, I hope your chemo is over and you are well now.. It's a tough road for anyone to walk..

 

[beansmom]

here in VA.. the food stamp card , the unemployment card , and the child support card all have very different looks.

unemployment and and child support can be deposited directly to the users bank account

that may well be true, but i would have NO idea what any of them looks like... and not everyone has a bank account. that's part of why they are issued debit cards.