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Monday, February 24, 2014

Military Families Use Record Number Of Food Stamps

The use of food stamps by military families, military retirees and others who have on-base privileges has tripled since 2008.
Military families, military retirees and others with shopping privileges on military bases redeemed nearly $104 million worth of food stamps at commissaries in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. That's a 5 percent increase from 2012 and the highest it's ever been.

According to CNN Money, food stamp usage at military commissaries has more than tripled since the Great Recession in 2008.

That outpaces the growth in food stamp use by the general population, says CBS MoneyWatch.

"I'm amazed, but there's a very real need," Thomas Greer told CNN. Greer is a spokesman for Operation Homefront, a nonprofit that provides financial and emergency assistance to some of the country's lowest-paid service members.

Greer said that in 2013, Operation Homefront received 2,968 emergency requests for food help, nearly three times the number in 2008.

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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

A lance corporal receives 1805.40 per month. ASSUMING a 40 hour week (we all know it's really more than 40 hrs), that is 11.28/hour. Seriously??? Is that really enough? NO!

Anonymous said...

And yet - we're OK with minimum wage of $7.50. Believe me, I'm with you - the LC deserves more than 11.28...but so do the rest of the working poor.

Anonymous said...

Come to OC and become a bus driver. They pay $14/hr!

Anonymous said...

As long as they're doing what they are there for and not chained down with wife and kids they make more than enough to survive.