Food Stamp Benefits Decrease for 47 Million (VIDEO)

What do we do about it?

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Reduced funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program takes effect today. What the liberal media is reporting as a cut to the program is actually the expiration of part of the 2009 stimulus package which increased SNAP benefits by 13.6%.

Congress failed to extend the increase, and is currently debating a farm bill which could cut the program further. It is particularly troublesome news to states like California, where 1 in 9 families are participating in the SNAP program. The Department of Agriculture says that for the average family the lower funding levels will result in about $36 less a month.

The government can no longer afford to sustain SNAP and other assistance programs with an increasing amount of participants coupled with rapidly rising financial obligations.

AP News Report

 

Luckily many local charities are already taking the lead to prepare.

This kind of response is what is needed. But we shouldn’t wait for crises to arise. The decline in support for local charitable efforts is amplified when the need is suddenly there. If we wish to have a stronger society—a more prosperous society, we must have self-reliant communities, made of up of individuals who help each other. If we do not seek to help those around who need it, we help to create a vacuum, which government may attempt to fill. But government aid is not sustainable, and once people become dependent on it and communities stop believing they have a role in aiding others, the seeds of crisis have been sown.

Helping each other when in need is something people of all political and social backgrounds can embrace. Whether or not we can agree on the government’s role in the matter, can we not agree that the best way to address the problem is hands on? The demand for assistance is only going to increase and the government’s ability to meet that demand will continue to diminish.

A little effort can go a long way. This author founded a nonprofit organization nearly three years ago. Today Spirits of ’76 has active chapters in CT, MA, and RI working to serve their communities. In just one day last winter the local chapter here in CT collected over 100 bags of food for the local food pantry. And we are expanding to new areas. We don’t have much funding yet, but we are able to make a large impact. It is a testament to what people can do when they seek to make an impact.

There are lots of ways individuals can help. Whether it be joining an organization like Spirits of ’76, supporting local charities, or just volunteering a local soup kitchen for the day. You truly will be helping to make somebody’s day a lot better and you will helping to make a much larger impact than you can imagine. Let’s set an example; not just in response to crisis, but as a statement of what a free and prosperous society should be.

About the Author: Keith Farrell is a frequent contributor to The Libertarian Republic and founder and president of Spirits of ’76 nonprofit organization. He graduated with a BA from the University of Connecticut in American Studies and Urban & Community Studies. Follow him on Facebook.

3 comments

Dominicus November 1, 2013 at 8:14 pm

Wait…1 in 9 people in California?
SNAP, aka Food Stamps, fraud is rampant. I still remember the shock that I had when a perfectly well employed co-workers was bragging about how much she got for selling her “public assistance.” She told me that lots of people do it. What? I just can’t wrap my mind around that.

Inconsistencies November 1, 2013 at 9:51 pm

It’s no act of charity to be generous with someone else’s money.

GainesStreetTrash November 4, 2013 at 1:56 am

Oh know your telling me people can’t keep using their EBT at the strip club, bar or Liquor store??????????

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