NORWICH – There are many reasons income levels may fluctuate through the year. Low wages, seasonal employment among others are the main reasons families find themselves in scary situations certain times of the year. There are options people can take advantage of to get the right amount of help to find their way back to self-sufficiency. In Chenango County poverty rates steadily increase and more and more programs are being designed to help take the pressures off everyday expenses. One of these expenses is Food Stamps.

Food Stamps are often the first line of defense against hunger. It enables families to buy food with Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. Food stamp recipients spend benefits to buy food in authorized retail food stores.

There is no reason you or your children should go hungry for any reason. Of the 38 million individuals/families eligible for food stamps on average monthly throughout 2004, 23 million individuals (60 percent) chose