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Date: June 2, 2009
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NEWS RELEASE... |
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Congressman Baca and San Bernardino County Team Up to Assist Families in Need |
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Training Will Help to Enroll More Needy Families in Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs San Bernardino, CA – Congressman Joe Baca and a team of county experts from the Transitional Assistance Department (TAD) provided three workshops for representatives of church groups, community based organizations, non-profit organizations, and other social serving agencies to familiarize and train them with the new federal guidelines to be illegible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP is a federal program administered by the County. With local unemployment figures approaching 14%, with underemployed residents also in the double digits, with 34% of city residents on some form of aid, it is clear that many of our residents, especially children, are going without food. The recently approved Farm Bill has expanded access to SNAP (the old food stamp program) to make more of the new poor eligible to receive temporary assistance. Congressman Baca is chair of the House subcommittee on nutrition, and was a leading advocate for expansion of SNAP in the Farm Bill. Targeting the new poor, the unemployed, the underemployed, families of vets serving overseas, seniors, and the homeless, representatives of agencies serving these specialized groups were identified for special training. Given a primer on rules and requirements, the representatives were invited to identify families and individuals in need and to assist them in seeking temporary support through SNAP. The training highlights the fact that this area has long underutilized SNAP and that every dollar of SNAP spent locally, generates an estimated $1.73 in revenues which can assist in retaining jobs while feeding families. Congressman Baca stated, “There are 38 million Americans who go to bed every night hungry. This is inexcusable in America today. I am especially concerned about children and the new poor having food on the table. We must do everything we can to assist families in this time of need. SNAP is a viable alternative for families and can also assist the local economy by generating revenues.” The three workshops helped train over 222 representatives of social and religious organizations. Staff from TAD assisted this effort by providing the technical expertise and training location. The public can also apply for SNAP benefits by requesting an application over the phone, in person, by fax, or by mail from the county office. After an application is submitted the county will setup a brief interview for application review. Below is a list of documents necessary for the interview:
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