Poverty -- Food stamps

The calculation for Food Stamps benefits is frozen at 1996 levels, while food prices have done anything but remain stagnant, prompting Catholic Charities to call for improvements in the program. New York participants receive Food Stamps that average out to $1.16 per meal, generally not enough to buy fresh produce and lean meat. A Boston University School of Medicine researcher found that it would cost 30 percent more than the typical benefit to purchase a diet that meets American Heart Association recommendations.

This blog is participating in Blog Action Day, an annual nonprofit event that aims to unite the world’s bloggers, podcasters and videocasters, to post about the same issue on the same day. The aim is to raise awareness and trigger a global discussion: this year the issue is poverty. Between now and October 15, we will be posting about poverty in our diocese, with material provided by Catholic Charities in its report "Poverty in the Diocese of Albany: A Threat to the Common Good." The report, and additional information, is available here.