The first thing you should know about the application, at least in Rhode Island, is that it is long. It is a seventeen page PDF file. It is also only available in English. It is also only searchable if you can read, though if you go to the Food Stamp office in person, you can get assistance there. But for the people who are desperately working as many hours as possible to feed their family, being able to get to DHS is difficult. You can request a telephone interview, which is helpful for those who cannot read or speak English, but still, if you do not know where to turn to, this can be incredibly difficult.
There are a few problems with the system in terms of accessibility and organization. It is, compared to other government systems, rather quick once you are in the process of getting stamps. There is little problem with this. However, gaining access to the right to food stamps is for more privileged citizens. I will not complain here about the fact that legal immigrants have more stringent rules for application (i.e. having had to live in the U.S. for 5 years before being able to apply for an EBT card), because that delves into politics that people will have more trouble agreeing upon and sorting out. Instead, I will note that some citizens cannot read; some citizens do not speak English; and some citizens, overwhelmed with problems of poverty and malnutrition, simply cannot find the energy or time to fill out a 17-page application in their own time.
Here are some changes to the system that I propose, then. A simpler application, found at any grocery store, available in both English and Spanish, if not Portuguese, Cambodian, and other languages that are prominent in Rhode Island in particular. I do not know how the Food Stamp programs work in other states, but I do know that Rhode Island is a state in particular need of assistance to its large unemployed population.
I just spoke with a friend who works for Farm Fresh Rhode Island, the local farmers market, and learned more about how important EBT is to supporting local farms. For every dollar you spend at these Rhode Island farmers markets, Farm Fresh will match you up to $10 in Fresh Bucks tokens used for debit or EBT. So, if you want to spend $20 in food stamps, you will receive $30 in tokens to be used at any of the booths that sell groceries. Farm Fresh received funding for this program thanks to Wholesome Wave and The Rhode Island Foundation. It is pretty wonderful, and I am looking forward to receiving contact information from this friend about helping the URI Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program.
This semester, I believe I am going to apply for a grant with my co-educational literary fraternity, St. Anthony Hall, asking for money to print out applications, sit in front of grocery stores, and ask people if they need help filling out an application, if they need a Spanish translator, and will inform them of the programs at the farmers markets. I know that a significant amount of people avoid farmers markets because they believe they are akin to Whole Foods in terms of expense; however, a farmers market is just what Whole Foods aspires to be--fresh, nutritious produce that, when purchased, helps the local economy. When one takes the matching program into account, one can find affordable groceries that are more fresh, nutritious, and delicious than bargain carrots at the bottom of a Price Rite bin that have sat there for too long. The purpose of the SNAP program is two-fold: to help low-income individuals with their nutrition, and to help the food industry. Since the recession began, families have spent less on food, and therefore put less money into local farms and grocery stores alike. By helping push the Food Stamp program, money will circulate further and help out the economy, which is something that Rhode Island in particular desperately needs.
I will post the main pages of SNAP and Farm Fresh, so these websites are more easily found:
- SNAP: http://www.eatbettertoday.com/en/
- Food Stamps Application: https://www.foodstamps.ri.gov/admin/login.cfm
- Farm Fresh RI: http://www.farmfreshri.org/
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