Search Here

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly known as the Food Stamp Program, provides assistance for purchasing food to people in our country who are shown to live just above or below the poverty level. This benefit is usually temporary, is easier and has fewer restrictions than actual cash assistance. It is a federal program, administered by the USDA, though range of benefits are distributed by individual states.

In the 2011 fiscal year, $76.7 billion in food stamps were distributed. As of June 2012, 46.4 million Americans were receiving on average $133.14 per month in food stamps. In Washington, D.C., and Mississippi, more than one-fifth of residents receive food stamps.

In 2008, the world was on the brink of economic collapse, mainly due to risky securities and venture capitalist bundling mortgages into blocks of securities which defaulted. The resulting fallout almost ushered in a new depression. We are still recovering from this disaster in what appears to be a jobless recovery. This new speak means that our economy is recovering the wealth lost during this crisis, but the millions of jobs lost by actual people may never return and the economy has adjusted to grow without those jobs or people.

What are those families to do? Unemployment benefits have expired and people who previously worked hard to support themselves and their families now need help. But, in some circles, and according to some politicians currently running for office and his followers, these people deserve our contempt and a kick in the butt. "I made mine, now you get yours" is the mantra of these people.  

In a shameless example of blaming the poor, Cindy Nerger, 28, who relies on food stamps to feed her family, said she was brought to tears after being embarrassed by a manager at a Kroger store in Warner Robbins, Ga.

"He said, 'Excuse me for working for a living and not relying on food stamps like you,'" Nerger said the manager told her.

The man's comment came after Nerger and two other store employees disagreed over whether her total purchase was eligible for food stamps - the employees had insisted that roughly $10 of her bill was not covered. She said the manager ultimately told the employees to "just give it to her."

"I turned around and realized how many people heard him and how many saw that happened and I was so embarrassed... I started crying," she said.

A Kroger spokesman said, "We deeply regret our customer's experience. The comments made were not reflective of our company's policy. We value all of our customers. Please know that we have taken immediate steps to make sure something like this never happens again."

In their last quarterly statement, Kroger reported revenue of over $21,000,000,000 and a gross profit of over $4,000,000,000 for the quarter. For the three months that ended Aug. 11, the company reported net income of $279.1 million, or 51 cents a share.

Kroger offered Mrs. Nerger a $15.00 gift card in compensation. Mrs. Nerger turned down this offer and wants an apology and some action taken against the manager, short of termination. She knows what that would do to someone--perhaps make them need food stamps to feed their family;a fate she wishes on no one.