Alameda County Community Food Bank

Press Releases:

Contact: Judyth Collin
(510) 636-4902

Food Stamp Program Marks 30th Anniversary
—Grant from Annie E. Casey Foundation to Alameda County Community Food Bank
Aids in Application Assistance—

17 May 2007 -- (Oakland, CA) –– Thirty years ago on May 24, 1977 the landmark Food Stamp Act was signed into law by President Carter. Created in response to the extreme hunger and medical problems related to malnutrition that were common in the 1960’s, it has become one of the most successful and effective safety-net programs that has made that kind of severe hunger rare in our country.

"For 30 years, the Food Stamp program has been the cornerstone of our nation’s effort to end hunger," said Congressman Pete Stark. "This anniversary is cause to celebrate the millions of lives that food stamps have saved and improved. But we must also acknowledge that much more needs to be done to lift all families out of poverty. I commend the ongoing efforts of the Alameda County Food Bank toward this goal."

With a $50,000 grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Alameda County Community Food Bank is building on the success of its food stamp outreach efforts, targeting eligible residents living in Oakland’s San Antonio Neighborhood district. Bilingual staff who speak Vietnamese, Spanish, Mandarin and Cantonese are conducting food stamp screening and application assistance in the neighborhood where the participation rate is only 12 percent of those who may be eligible. The Food Bank has helped double food stamp participation among eligible households in Oakland from 2001 to 2006, the largest increase in participation among all cities surveyed nationwide, according to a recent Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) survey.

Less than half of Alameda County low-income residents who are eligible are enrolled in the program, either because they do not know they may be eligible or because the barriers are too great. Food stamp participants have to meet strict income and asset limits and in California, undergo fingerprinting and a rigorous application process before being approved for food stamps. It usually takes 30 to 60 days after an application is submitted to find out if one is approved or denied. Benefits are then retroactive to date of application. Alameda County residents who are interested in pre-screening for food stamp eligibility can call the Food Bank’s toll free number, 800-870-3663.

The average benefit for a food stamp recipient in Alameda County is $84 per month per person and generates millions of federal dollars in food purchasing power. According to the USDA, every food stamp dollar creates $1.84 in local economic activity.

In July of this year, Congress will make decisions about the future of the Food Stamp Program as part of the 2007 Farm Bill reauthorization. Food stamp benefits have not increased since 1996, resulting in a decrease in food stamp purchasing power each year. Annually 26 million people in America, including 240,000 in Alameda County, rely on emergency food. The Alameda County Community Food Bank, along with other food banks and organizations across the United States, is calling on Congress to reverse the erosion of benefits when it renews the program this year.

Food Stamp Facts (According to a 2005 study by the California Food Policy Advocates)

The Food Stamp Program helps 26 million people across America buy food every month, including 70,000 people in Alameda County.
Only 45 percent of eligible households in Alameda County participate in the program.
The average participant receives about $1 per person per meal in benefits.
Household gross income level must be below 130 percent of the federal poverty limit.
Most families receiving food stamps in California are the working poor.
Food Stamp benefits now come in the form of a plastic card, called EBT (Electronic benefit Transfer), which has all but eliminated fraud and made it easier to shop for groceries.

To learn about the history of the food stamp program, view the food stamp video "Making America Stronger" narrated by Jeff Bridges at www.cbpp.org/foodstamp-video.htm or visit www.frac.org. For more information about food stamps in California, visit California Food Policy Advocates at www.cfpa.net.