The number of people in America on food stamps is the highest in recorded history. The number has spiked 70% percent in just the last five years. Meaning for many, tomorrow will be a food stamp Thanksgiving.
This Thanksgiving, millions of people all throughout the country are in need. And many of them are in our area.
At the Water Street Ministries Governor Corbett is volunteering by passing out food. But this is not the only way people can get help. Record numbers are getting it in the form of food stamps.
Joe Darrenkamp of DarrenKamp's says his store is seeing a lot more food stamps. “A lot of your regular workers are on food stamps, more so than your handicap or mentally challenged kind of thing. More and more people are getting it because of the bad economy.”
The lines were long the day before Thanksgiving at Darrenkamp's Grocery Store in Lancaster. And many are in need.
In the last year, Darrenkamp's has seen a 10% increase in Food Stamps. In the last month alone, they've seen an additional 10%. And as we get close to tomorrow the need just keeps growing. And this is happening all across America.
This Thanksgiving more than 42 million will depend on Food Stamps at a cost of $72 billion according to government numbers.
Today's food stamps come on an access card, like a credit card, instead of the old system which looked like fake money. The new card is intended to make recipients more comfortable when using the benefit, because nobody in line would know. “It's easier for the average person to get it. More people are in need now with the bad economy. It's been a good thing, I guess, that people are the getting the help they need to help feed their families where needed," Darrenkamp said.
Economists say that food stamp usage is unlikely to go down until unemployment goes down.
This Thanksgiving, millions of people all throughout the country are in need. And many of them are in our area.
At the Water Street Ministries Governor Corbett is volunteering by passing out food. But this is not the only way people can get help. Record numbers are getting it in the form of food stamps.
Joe Darrenkamp of DarrenKamp's says his store is seeing a lot more food stamps. “A lot of your regular workers are on food stamps, more so than your handicap or mentally challenged kind of thing. More and more people are getting it because of the bad economy.”
The lines were long the day before Thanksgiving at Darrenkamp's Grocery Store in Lancaster. And many are in need.
In the last year, Darrenkamp's has seen a 10% increase in Food Stamps. In the last month alone, they've seen an additional 10%. And as we get close to tomorrow the need just keeps growing. And this is happening all across America.
This Thanksgiving more than 42 million will depend on Food Stamps at a cost of $72 billion according to government numbers.
Today's food stamps come on an access card, like a credit card, instead of the old system which looked like fake money. The new card is intended to make recipients more comfortable when using the benefit, because nobody in line would know. “It's easier for the average person to get it. More people are in need now with the bad economy. It's been a good thing, I guess, that people are the getting the help they need to help feed their families where needed," Darrenkamp said.
Economists say that food stamp usage is unlikely to go down until unemployment goes down.