Food aid increases as woes continue in Dan River Region

Aaron and Esther Blair are struggling to get by.

Aaron lost his job at Amthor on Jan. 11 and the Chatham couple in their mid-50s has applied for food-purchase help from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, otherwise known as “food stamps.”

“You can talk to anybody,” Esther said during an interview outside the Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services on Wednesday. “Everybody has a hard luck story.”

The number of people receiving SNAP benefits has been increasing for years, especially in low-income Southside Virginia during tough economic times.

The downturn has sent more people to social services for help putting food on the table, said Jay Brown, benefit program supervisor with the Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services.

“The economy is probably No. 1 [reason] … just the lack of jobs, especially in this area,” Brown said during an interview at the social services office Wednesday.

SNAP cases come with stories of job loss, sudden emergencies that drain income or savings and, in some instances, business owners who can no longer make ends meet, Brown said. Applicants commonly say they never thought it would happen to them, Brown said.

The average monthly number of households across the nation that have received SNAP benefits under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service nearly doubled from 2007 to 2011, according to the USDA’s FNS web page.

A monthly average of nearly 11.8 million households benefited from SNAP in 2007, with 12.7 million in 2008, 15.2 million in 2009, 18.6 million in 2010 and about 21 million last year, according to USDA figures. In Virginia during that time, SNAP households increased from 230,281 to 406,811.

SNAP figures have also risen in Pittsylvania County since 2007. The number of individuals participating in the county was 8,071 through November 2007, with 8,287 during the same period in 2008, 9,477 in 2009, 10,357 in 2010 and 10,457 last year, Brown said.

Dee Myers, benefit program specialist with social services, said she is seeing applicants who have never received SNAP benefits before.

“We see all types of people coming in,” Myers said.

Some clients express disbelief at receiving SNAP payments.

“We hear it quite often,” Myers said. “‘I didn’t think this would happen to me,’ they say.”

Pittsylvania County Social Services provided about $14.3 million in SNAP benefits to recipients in 2011, with an average monthly payout of almost $1.2 million, Brown said. Every $5 in new SNAP benefits generates $9.20 in added spending in the local economy, Brown said.

To qualify for SNAP, a family of four must make $2,422 or less in gross monthly income, while a single individual must gross $1,180 or less per month, Brown said. Clients no longer get stamps, but receive an EBT card, which is similar to a debit card, Brown said.

The Electronic Benefits Transfer card removed part of the stigma for recipients — another reason why usage has increased, Brown said. Clients can purchase food with the cards but not alcohol or cigarettes, Brown said.

Also, most SNAP clients must periodically fill out an interim report on their situation and return the results or face termination of benefits, Myers said. Assistance is renewed every year or every three or six months, depending on the participant’s circumstances, she said.

Ringgold resident Kelly Marable has received SNAP benefits for eight years. The single mother of four said she is ready to improve her life, which is why she went to school and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Averett University in December.

“I appreciate it (SNAP benefits), but it’s not something I want to do for the rest of my life,” said Marable, 32, who has triplets and a 15-year-old son. She receives about $500 in SNAP benefits per month.

Marable works part-time — about 30 hours a week — for Danville Parks & Recreation. Her $10-an-hour salary is not enough to pay for food, rent and keeping the lights on, she said. Marable also has about $20,000 in student loan debt that –along with financial aid — helped pay for her college education.

Marable said she has applied for state and city jobs in criminal justice and social work.

“Not all of us are lazy,” she said. “A lot of us do try. The cost of living today is too high to make it on your own.”

For Aaron and Esther Blair, they’re surviving any way they can. Esther earns a little money babysitting her grandchildren. It helps buy gas and cigarettes, she said. Aaron, who worked at Dan River Inc. for 22 years until getting laid off when the plant closed, continues looking for a job.

Aaron went back to school after Dan River to earn a GED and took advanced technology classes to update his skills. He worked at Unique Industries until taking a job at Amthor for higher pay last fall. He was fired in January.

“They said I wasn’t learning the job fast enough,” Aaron said. “I’m looking until I can find me something.”

His wife Esther, said, “We’re struggling, but we’ll make it somehow.”