Food stamps anyone?

[LadyKaiko]

@wanderlust: Thank you! I'm very happy. It's a telecommunications job. Dial America, if you've heard of it. I remember you saying somewhere in this forum that you live in Ohio and I believe there are two Dial America locations in Ohio, if I remember correctly.

[0222]

I was on foodstamps for 6 months. I walked in, filled out an application, and about 2 hours later, I walked out with a foodstamps card with $200 on it. I was approved for 12 months, but after 6 months you have to fill out another application just to make sure nothing has changed.. I filled another one out and they never called me back. Oh well.

[~~♥above it all♥~~]

I don't have food stamps or WIC but where i live over half the population uses it. In my opinion they are a good thing because it helps a lot of families. however, some people where I live abuse it. Also it is a pain in the butt when you work at a grocery store and you have to ring up ebt and WIC on a cash register. Especially WIC, because i have to do them one at a time and sometimes it takes ages.

[Catsmile]

To save money - Kaiko - can you just live with your mum and dad?

[AngelPrincess]

the only government assistance I've been on is unemployment pay when I got laid off. I have no problem with people using food stamps and especially WIC. No one shouldn't judge people in that situation because most of time getting government help is a last resort especially in these hard times. One problem I do have with WIC is they give you a lot of food to the point where it might spoil before you get a chance to eat it. I remember when I was working at a grocery store anytime someone would use WIC they would have to get like two-three gallons of whole milk. Even if the whole family drinks milk with every meal one jug will probably start to spoil before you even get to it.

[guestgue]

the only government assistance I've been on is unemployment pay when I got laid off. I have no problem with people using food stamps and especially WIC. No one shouldn't judge people in that situation because most of time getting government help is a last resort especially in these hard times. One problem I do have with WIC is they give you a lot of food to the point where it might spoil before you get a chance to eat it. I remember when I was working at a grocery store anytime someone would use WIC they would have to get like two-three gallons of whole milk. Even if the whole family drinks milk with every meal one jug will probably start to spoil before you even get to it.

Most people don't use all their wic coupons at one for that reason. The coupons ate meant to lay the month, and that's why they have so many mills on there. Not for you to use on the first, but to use every week or so for the month. Some people choose not to space them out, but that's why they're on separate coupons so that you don't have to use them all at once.

As far as wic goes, I'm so glad they expanded it from even seven years ago. I have no children so I've never had to use it, but as a cashier I'm glad to see that the options have gotten much wider (yet still healthy). Like before, you could only get specifically one pound of fresh carrots as a veggie, but now wic allows for you to choose your own produce within a set monetary amount and it can even be frozen. I think that was a really good adjustment.

[tamithomas]

We don't have food stamps in Canada, we only have unemployement and welfare which applying for unemployement here is like trying to draw blood for a rock. I remember a time where if you had a seasonal job you got unemployement no problem. The abusers have really screwed it up for the ones who use the system correctly. I have no problem with any assistance out there, as long as you're using it for the right reason.

What I don't agree with is the judgement people put on welfare recipients saying they're lazy for not having a job. If you're referring to someone you know personally than fine but if you mean strangers than how can you give such a judgement by only seeing them in a store? Mental handicaps are far more difficult to identify than physical ones. Even physical ones are hard to identity at times. I know someone who's on welfare because she has Fibromyalgia. You can't tell just by looking at her that she has the illness but trust me, it's there. Or it could be as simply as they've applied for countless amounts of jobs but have not been hired yet you wouldn't know because you don't live with them. You can't read their resume by their attire.

Also, as for the jewelry, phones, clothes ect, ever heard of second hand shops and presents from friends or family? There are plenty of second hand stores out there that sell everything from clothes to accessories and what not for a tiny fraction of the real price you would buy brand new. I have many brand names in my closet thanks to one near my place but yet I spend maybe 2$ to 5$ a shirt and 3$ to 6$ a pair of pants. The person could have bought all the stuff before they got laid off including the new car they sometimes are seen driving in with. Are welfare recipients suddenly supposed to give away everything they own that has value because they had to go on welfare just so people can not judge them?

just saying that when you go to stores on the first, quit being judgmental because you don't know their life story nor their situation. Not saying there aren't a few there abusing it but they're far less than the media likes to portray.