Project Bread donates $15.6G to LEO for food stamp program

LYNN – In an effort to help struggling families and senior citizens, Project Bread on Wednesday awarded $15,600 to Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO).The funds will be used by the Lynn agency to enroll hungry families and elders into the state’s food stamp program.”It’s often discouraging to see how many families are struggling, but are denied food stamp benefits,” said John Feehan, deputy director of LEO. “However, we’re continuously impressed by the phenomenal amount of benefits that those accepted receive. The food stamp program can be such a tremendous help for families.”Ellen Parker, executive director of Project Bread, said the demand for food stamp benefits has increased, driven by the current economic crisis and exacerbated by soaring food prices. According to Parker, the price of bread is up from $1.05 in January 2006 to $2.55 this November. During the same period, a dozen eggs rose in price from $1.45 to $2.79 while milk increased from $3.20 to $3.69 a gallon.Not all the news has been bad, she said, noting recent changes in food stamp policy make more people eligible. In the past, applicants with child or adult daycare expenses could only deduct a portion of their expenses from their income. The policy changes now allow them to deduct the entire amount of their child or adult care expenses, often resulting in increased food stamp benefits.Additionally, senior citizens can now deduct out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as co-payments for doctor’s visits and prescription drugs as well as hearing aids and eyeglasses, among others things, Parker said.”The average monthly benefit for an elder is up to $120,” she said. “This is $1,440 a year and it can certainly help a senior citizen living on a fixed income buy more nutritious food. Of course, some will receive less and some more, but in this economy, no one should leave almost $1,500 on the table.”Food stamps are no longer stamps. Instead, they are doled out in the form of a debit card, which allows a family to shop for food at their local supermarket. The debit food cards help families add fresh produce, whole grains, and lean meat to their diet and enable them to shop when it’s convenient for them, such as before or after work, Parker said.With Project Bread’s help, LEO can better help clients apply for food stamps right in their neighborhood, using translators if necessary, and with the kind of personalized caring that gets the results, said Feehan, explaining that the Lynn-based agency uses the state’s Virtual Gateway, an online food stamp application, developed and simplified by the Department of Transitional Assistance.Parker emphasized that the food stamp program not only helps families pay for food but inject money into the business community. “They’re a win-win-win because they help a family put food on the table while they also bring money to the local economy,” she said. “That family is spending their benefits to buy food at a grocery store, which helps that grocer and, ultimately, the state. Food stamps are vital to helping families and elders stay healthy this year and Project Bread is investing in ways that help everyone who is eligible take advantage of them.”Based on Project Bread’s 2008 Status Report on Hunger, more than 522,000 Massachusetts residents will struggle to put food on the table this winter.The grant from Project Bread, the state’s leading anti-hunger organization, enables LEO to help more families take advantage of the federal food stamp program. The money is part of $229,800 in total funding that Project Bread recently granted to 18 community organizations.Interested applicants can find the latest information about times and places online at Project Bread’s www.gettingfoodstamps.org. In Lynn, questions can be addressed to LEO by calling 781-581-7220.