There has been a lot made in the news and in social media recently about Gwyneth Paltrow and her attempt at a variant SNAP diet, and her “cheating” after only four days. We have no beef with Ms. Paltrow for not being able to live on $29 a week because it cannot be done; rather, our objection is that she brought attention to something she obviously knows little about.
To be fair, I have never seen any of Ms. Paltrow’s work. I know her to be an attractive and accomplished actress, but that is where it ends. I do know that celebrities often take up one cause or another, probably on the advice of publicists, and much of the work those in her industry involve themselves with is indeed helpful. But I would submit that this actress could help the hungry of our Nation in better ways than attempting a stunt that was doomed to failure from the beginning. More on that later.
SNAP, of course, stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, what many still call “food stamps” and the answer to her failure lies right in the name. It is meant to be “supplemental” and it is meant to provide “assistance” – no one has ever claimed that one could live on the amount provided in this program alone.
Although there were some variations of the program dating back to 1939, the program as we know it today began with a pilot program by President Kennedy and followed with the Food Stamp Act of 1964. Yes, they were originally “stamps”, similar to miniature currency, but the cost of printing, kin the cost of printing currency, and the ability for fraud brought about what we have today – a debit card that is “refilled” each month based on individual qualification and need.
The United States spends over $75 Billion a year on the program, serving just under fifty million Americans, who average about $130 a month in credits. While there have been cutbacks during two administrations and during recessions, not to mention sequestration, the program remains controversial. You either believe we have a responsibility to help the less fortunate or you do not. Period.
What is frightening about the whole matter is that roughly half of all those receiving SNAP benefits are families with children, and among those families, half of those again are single parent households. To dispel further stereotypes, you should know that 37% of the participants are white, 22% African American, 10% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 4% Native Americans and the remainder of unknown race or ethnicity. However, 15% of the U.S. population receive food assistance, and in the District of Columbia, where we serve, a staggering 23%.
So, let’s get back to how the “supplemental assistance” works. First, the person or family has someone in the household with a job, probably at minimum wage or thereabouts, or maybe part time. So, there is some income. Perhaps they are retired and receive a small pension and/or social security. And, yes, some are unemployed, either temporarily or long term. But there is hopefully some money coming into the house. But many of these families are multi-generational, and in the 6th most expensive city in the country, rent and utilities come first. Second, they then apply for SNAP, but there are stringent qualifications for the program, mainly that their gross monthly income has to be 130% or less than the federal poverty level, which means roughly $1,200 for an individual or roughly $2,500 for a family of four, per month. That is very little money, folks, especially in a place like Washington.
So, you have a small salary, you receive “supplemental assistance” in SNAP of a few dollars a week, and guess what? That is still not enough. So that is where the food pantries come in. There are scores of pantries, like ours, operating in Washington, serving thousands of people each month, again “supplemental assistance”, but given all three programs together, families can get by. Just get by.
Ms. Paltrow can help the poor best, not by attempting the ridiculous, but by adopting a food pantry in her area to see that they are successfully meeting the needs of the community. If everyone does just a little, the challenge can be overcome. But, first, everyone needs to understand how it works, then determine if they are called to help.
© 2015 John S. Mulholland Family Foundation, Inc.