CHENANGO COUNTY – More than 16 percent of Chenango County residents rely on the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formally known as Food Stamps), according to recent data from Chenango County Department of Social Services and the United States Census Bureau.
Of the 62 counties in New York State, Chenango County ranks fifth in percentage of Food Stamp recipients, with 16.6 percent of its residents receiving supplemental nutrition support - an alarmingly high statistic that has county officials contemplating viable resolves that might hopefully lower that statistic in the future.
According to a year-to-year comparison issued by the Department of Social Services, Chenango’s status of Food Stamp recipients is slightly fewer than Chemung County (17.3 percent); Fulton County (17.3 percent); Oneida County (17.3 percent); Montgomery County (18.9 percent); and Chatauqua County (19.2 percent).
Bette Osborne, commissioner for Chenango County Department of Social Services, outlined trends of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the 2012 DSS annual report, which was presented to the county Health and Human Services Committee in March. According to the report, the number of SNAP recipients reported by Chenango County DSS has steadily increased since 2008, when only 5,891 county residents qualified for Food Stamp assistance.
SNAP recipients has since climbed to 7,763 by the end of 2012, despite the decline of the county population, which has dropped by more than 1,000 people over the last five years, according to the US Census Bureau.
The latest figures reported by Chenango County DSS reflect a 1 percent increase in SNAP caseloads since December of 2011. Caseloads have increased a total of 44 percent since 2008. However, there is some good news, Osborne noted. Numbers have declined slightly since January of 2013 and currently, only 672 of those individuals on Food Stamps are also on cash assistance.
“That is only about 1 percent of the county who are receiving both cash and Food Stamps,” she said.
Osborne said there may be a number of attributes credited for rising SNAP recipients, including a still struggling economy, Chenango’s high poverty level (currently at 13.9 percent) and a more direct SNAP application process now available online for those who qualify.
“It’s not like it used to be, where anyone applying for Food Stamps needed to come in for a face to face meeting,” she explained. “I think the word is out now and it’s easier for many people to get access to.”
Osborne also noted that many SNAP recipients are currently employed but being paid only minimum wage. “When you have a family, that’s not going to put food on the table, even working full time,” she said. “There’s a large group of people who are working hard but just not making enough to get by. Food Stamps are there to bridge that gap.”
New York State is also pushing DSS to reach a largely unserved population who may fall through the cracks when it comes to food assistance, said Osborne. “There is a population we could be serving that we are not,” she said. Included in that population are the elderly who may be too proud to ask for help. “We have to make the process simple and respectful enough for that population to come in if they want to. That’s my goal.”
When asked about the prevalence of Food Stamp abuse in Chenango County, Osborne said there is a great deal of misconception and misinformation. “There may be abusers out there but a vast, vast majority who need it don’t abuse it,” she said. “A lot of people think we make the rules, but we don’t. When it comes to Food Stamp abuse, there are a lot of assumptions that just shouldn’t be made ... I think that many people feel that if other people are getting assistance, that they as the taxpayer have the right to oversee their lifestyle. That is something we are not authorized to do.”
The Chenango County Department of Social Services is not alone in reporting a higher number of people receiving food assistance. Roots and Wings of Chenango County, a local emergency services and self-suffiency program that provides food and clothing, operated by Catholic Charities of Chenango County in Norwich, saw the highest numbers served in its 14-year history over the last seven months. It broke record numbers in September, November, December and January.
In January, 2012, Roots and Wings served 486 households, which equates to approximately 22,875 individuals. That figure soared to 584 families (approximately 2,336 individuals) this year. At three meals per day, the organization provided enough food for 29,520 meals in the month of January alone.
“Food pantry numbers are up significantly over the last year,” said Catholic Charities Director of Community Outreach Gary Quarella. “The number of new families served is significant too ... we served 55 new households (in January) and of those, all 55 needed food.”
Quarella noted that January is traditionally a quiet month at Roots and Wings, coming off the holiday season. But given the significant numbers, the percentage of Chenango County relying on SNAP comes as little of a surprise.
“There are a lot of working families who need help,” he said. “There are so many people trying to provide for their families but the economy doesn’t allow them. It’s more a problem that is related to underemployment. People just aren’t making enough to meet living standards.”
Because programs like SNAP are state and federally regulated, Osborne said the best way to combat high numbers of Food Stamp recipients in the county is through a long-term approach aimed at increasing the number of good paying jobs, job training and education.
“It’s not something we are going to fix today, tomorrow or this year,” she said, “but it is there for a reason and I think it’s doing a good job for the people who need it.”