Oftentimes, the same person who’d bash someone for being on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will claim to have sympathy for another person who is starving.
READ: Black Retirement: “Too Poor To Retire, But Too Young To Die”
The stigma surrounding SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, is so bad that some individuals and families who need help would rather skimp on meals or live on nutritionally-deficient foods, like ramen noodles. This stigma has even encouraged the government to implement certain changes, like changing the name from food stamps to SNAP and changing the payment method from paper currency to electronic benefit cards (EBT).
But, that’s still not enough for individuals and families who are afraid of being stereotyped at the register.
“Eligibility is based on income, and 47 million people have made the often wrenching decision to take help from the government to put food on the table. Millions more qualify, but they may not know they’re eligible, they may be embarrassed, or they may not want to accept government help,” said Neal Conan on his show Talk of The Nation.
According to NPR, nearly 47 million Americans received SNAP in 2013. In 2015, the US Census Bureau reported that one in five children receive SNAP benefits. Contrary to popular belief, the majority of recipients are not African Americans.
In 2013, 40.2 percent of SNAP recipients were white, 25.7 percent Black, 10.3 percent Hispanic, 2.1 percent Asian and 1.2 percent Native American according to 2013 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Many people fail to realize that people on welfare also pay taxes. The also forget to take into account that their “tax money” isn’t only going to single mothers on welfare. (It could be going to the 1.2 billion dollar museum their mayor wants to dedicate to George Lucas after allowing dozens of schools to close due to a lack of funds.)
According to the Huffington Post, SNAP provides a critical safety net for our economy as a whole. In 2011, the federal government spent about $78 billion on SNAP, (approximately 2.11 percent of the $3.7 trillion U.S. Budget).
“Each dollar spent on SNAP generates $1.84 in economic activity, leading to increased productivity for our nation. In this way, SNAP helps maintain a demand for food and agricultural products, as well as jobs in those sectors, during a lagging economy,” said Susan Blumenthal, M.D, in the Huffington Post article.
Now, there are some “welfare queens/kings” (of all races) who milk the system for all it’s worth. After being offered $10 per hour for positions that required a bachelor’s degree, I don’t blame them for giving up on the job search. That’s not to say it’s ok. It’s not. But, I understand.
Though many SNAP recipients are employed, married, college graduates, etc. some of them are still quiet about receiving SNAP benefits because they fear it’ll ruin their professional and personal reputation. While their silence is understandable, it only adds to the stereotype that the only recipients are single Black mothers.
“I’m surrounded by very staunch conservative people who consistently talk down about food stamp recipients, and I cannot say one word out loud. Also because I am a certified financial planner, if word got out that I was on food stamps, none of my neighbors would approach me to buy retirement products or annuities or life insurance or anything,” said a financial planner who called into Conan’s show.
“I’m a 22-year-old white male student. I’ve applied for SNAP twice. Both times, I’ve never completed the process because I know that I would feel extreme shame when trying to use it. I fear being stigmatized for being part of the food stamp culture,” said another listener who wrote into the show via email.
Let’s not wait until someone is completely down on their luck and living on the streets to support them. If you are truly empathetic about helping those in need, start by speaking out when you hear someone make negative remarks about the SNAP program. Remind them that people are starving behind this stigma. If you know someone who may be eligible to receive SNAP benefits, try to assist them with the application process and assure them that they are doing the right thing.
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