Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Nearly half of American children will live in a household that receives food stamps before they turn 20, and close to 50% of all current food stamp recipients are children.
The data comes from a Cornell University study and matches up well with numbers in Onondaga County, where close to 49,000 people receive food stamps. Around 22,000 of them are younger than 18.
The Department of Social Services says this is part of a larger trend. Onondaga County's total caseload is at an all-time high and is 25 percent greater now than it was this time last year.
For counties, it’s a struggle to keep up with the need for help.
Times are tough and families count on their food stamps to get by. Vickie Darby has four kids to feed. “It’s hard to make ends meet on just a little bit of income. All my cash, my income I get for my job, it goes to my rent and other bills,” Darby says.
At the beginning of each month, she calls DSS to renew her benefits, and she is not alone. The phones at the local offices are ringing off the hook. Barbara Porn, an Income Maintenance worker with DSS, says, “There's a lot of information coming in that has to be processed and it's hard to get to everyone in a timely manner.”
On its best day, the office will have five people answering calls. Workers say its still not enough to keep up with the influx of people who need help putting food on the table.
Steve Seifritz, the Assistant Commissioner for Temporary Assistance, said, “We have some technology improvements that have helped us cope with this. Unfortunately there are things like the number of phone calls - which increases over time - it gets a little tough to handle.”
It doesn't help when folks are slow to submit their paperwork. “We have to tell them to go to a pantry or a hot meal site in the mean time which is hard to tell somebody,” Porn said.
Darby has been on food stamps for nearly three years, so she knows the drill. However, those who don't need to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later.
Last week, the Onondaga County Department of Social Services launched an online application for food stamps, but workers must still interview prospective recipients over the phone.
