Nothing but Food Stamps

Remember a few months ago when The New York Times reporter Jason DeParle visited us in Southwest Ohio to do a story on food stamps? Over the weekend, The Times ran the next installment of his series on food stamp usage in the U.S. This time he reported from Florida and focused on a growing population relying on food stamps as their only source of income--no disability checks, no unemployment, no cash assistance or 'welfare'--just food stamps.

But this isn't just an issue in Florida. The New York Times collected food stamp data from 31 states and found that all had experienced a rise in the number of people relying on food stamps as their only source of income. According to the article, 314,200 Ohioans were receiving food stamps as their only income, which is up 37% from 2007.

Keep in mind, food stamps are a work support program, meaning you have to work to earn the benefit. But when there is no work to be had, people can volunteer at various local agencies or enroll in job training classes to satisfy the requirement. At least, that's how it works in Ohio.

You might be wondering how someone could survive with no cash income other than a few hundred dollars a month in food stamps. DeParle explores this trend and tells the stories of a few families and individuals who have managed to get by with what they have, which happens to be food stamps. It's definitely worth a look.