Need for food stamps is rising

The population of people receiving food assistance is growing

Fifty percent of households with children will use food stamps at some point. That number is also growing among households without children.

The population of people receiving food assistance isn't limited to single mothers; that group has grown to include adults that don't have children, college graduates who can't find work, and more.

Travis Holmes has been receiving food stamps for over a month now. "I've been job searching, but trying to find a job is hard and difficult so I came here for food stamps."

He's part of a growing number of Lucas County residents that receive food assistance for just himself. That number has steadily grown over the years. Since 2007, it increased by 35 percent to a total of 28,411 single households receiving food stamps.

In the past year, the number of total households receiving food stamps in Lucas County grew by 19 percent to a total of just over 85,000; that number includes all groups with and without children, those with college degrees and those with jobs.

Carol Rehm from Job and Family Services says, "That's a dramatic increase for us. We've had a steady increase over the past five years, but never anything like that."

In order to qualify for food stamps you must be at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level; for individuals that's about $1,000 a month. For a family of two it's just over $1,400 a month, but those numbers are not set in stone.

"Whether you're a family, a single adult or a senior citizen, I encourage people to come in and apply because it can make such a difference in their overall quality of life."

Get more Local »

• Comment Now
• Email
• Print
• Report a typo
•