FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 9, 2011
CONTACT:
Angela Smith-Dieng
3SquaresVT Advocacy Manager
Hunger Free Vermont
802-865-0255
ASmith-Dieng@hungerfreevt.org
Burlington – The US Department of Agriculture released its annual report on state participation rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known nationally as SNAP and in Vermont as 3SquaresVT. Vermont ranked 11th in the nation for its participation rate in 2008, reaching approximately 79% of the 66,000 Vermonters estimated eligible for food benefits that year. That’s up from 73% the previous year. At the same time, Vermont did not reach as many of those who were working and also eligible for the program – only 65% participated in 2008, down from 66% the year before.
“We are very encouraged by these overall gains,” says Angela Smith-Dieng , 3SquaresVT Advocacy Manager at Hunger Free Vermont, “but we know hunger is rising and 1 in 7 Vermont households are struggling with access to food. With many more working Vermonters eligible for 3SquaresVT and not yet participating, there is more work to be done to make the program more accessible and well known.”
Since 2008, 3SquaresVT participation has skyrocketed, now at a record 90,556 individuals enrolled, bringing $11 million federal dollars into the Vermont economy each month. Advocates and program administrators attribute this dramatic increase to the downturn in the economy as well as the 2009 expansion of eligibility that made many more Vermonters eligible for the program. At the same time as participation was increasing, Vermont embarked on a modernization effort to offer more automated access to 3SquaresVT services, including a benefits call center and an online application. Unfortunately, budget and staffing cuts coincided with increased participation; the technology was not fully in place to keep up with the need, so 3SquaresVT application processing was delayed in 2010.
“It’s difficult to say how Vermont’s participation rate in future reports will be affected by all of these changes,” says Smith-Dieng, “but we are committed to working in collaboration with the Department for Children and Families to improve the program and make it more accessible for the Vermonters who are eligible and entitled to its benefits. This will not only benefit the people who need food, but improve the Vermont economy overall.”
For information about 3SquaresVT, visit www.vermontfoodhelp.com or call 2-1-1.
About Hunger Free Vermont : Hunger Free Vermont is a statewide nonprofit organization that works with state agencies and community groups to develop sustainable hunger solutions. Since 1993 Hunger Free Vermont ’s outreach programs have substantially enhanced Vermont ’s nutrition safety net and increased access to nutritious foods. www.hungerfreevt.org
