Faces of Food Stamps

There is only a small amount of agriculture in today’s Farm Bill. Here’s a look at what makes up 80 percent of the legislation, which is passed typically every five years. Kansas Agland did several in-depth stories called the “Faces of Food Stamps.” Through the series, we put a face on the program and who it impacts.

Here’s a look at the series through our e-publication.

E-Publication: Faces of Food Stamps

By Amy Bickel
Kansas Agland

Marvin George just wants a job.

He sits on the worn orange couch in his low-income apartment -most of his belongings are in storage. His walls are bare except for a black-and-white photo of him as a toddler that hangs above his head.

Back then, he had no worries, he says quietly. But these days, a she talks about his life from his small, one-room residence, worry etches his 55-year-old face.

“A year from now I’ll probably be looking for a bridge to put my address on,” he says. “My 401 K won’t last that long.”

His $25,000 in retirement is what George has been living on for the past three years – that and the food stamps he receives. But even that assistance has been cut from $200 to just $18 a month as he continues to search for work – sometimes putting out as many as five job applications a day.

With little schooling, limited computer skills and an age that is creeping toward retirement, no one wants him.

There are 47 million Americans on food stamps. George is one of them.