Local market offers health food for all

Although Good Earth Market has always accepted food stamps, they are just now advertising it on their marquee in front of their store, showing an increasing trend in recognizing the need to bring healthy foods to all people, regardless of income.

Sue Ryan, owner of Good Earth Market, a full grocery store with natural and organic products, said that one of her early employees had the idea because of the number of people on assistance who also have food allergies.

“We’ve been set up to accept them since opening,” said owner Sue Ryan. “And we have always had three or four steady customers, and we just decided we should let people know. And now we’ve gotten some new customers because of it.”

The food stamp program – now nationally known as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, to highlight the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new focus on making healthy available for low-income residents – helps families in need bridge the gap between having money and having enough money to eat by helping families buy food. States have different eligibility requirements based on income and family size.

In Delaware, the program is now known as “food benefits,” as stamps are no longer used. Instead, beneficiaries have a debit-like card with which to purchase their groceries. Individuals who receive TANF, GA or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) are exempt from income eligibility tests and the maximum gross monthly income limit for most other individuals is based on 130 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that means a gross monthly income of not more than $2,297.

Ryan said that they just recently decided to advertise the fact that shoppers who have food benefits are more than welcome and even encouraged to check out the shop, because nutritional need and a proactive lifestyle isn’t only for a select few.

“Just because someone is on assistance doesn’t mean they don’t have special dietary needs or want to eat healthy,” she said.

Barbara Hanson, deputy director of the Division of Social Services in Delaware, said that since July 2008 through February 2009, applications for services from the division has risen 25 percent and those numbers are still rising. That division of social services provides services such as food benefits, Medicaid/SCHIP, subsidized childcare and cash benefits.

“We have also had a tremendous surge just from January to February — 12 percent,” she said.

Previously, they tracked applicants manually, but they now have a computerized system where cases can be tracked by social worker, unit, location and type of assistance needed. Hanson said the biggest increase has been seen in the number of people applying for food benefits, as Medicaid application rates have always been high.

About one of five Delawareans receives some type of assistance through Medicaid. In July, Sussex County social workers took in 885 people for programs and in February 2009, the same staff took in 1,224. On the western side of Sussex County, workers took in 870 applications in July and 1,089 applications in February.

Hanson added that the increase in minimum food benefits has also aided in driving the number of applicants up. The minimum benefit used to be $10 per month. It currently is $14 per month, and in April will rise again to $16.

“People are saying, ‘I can buy something with $16.’ And the good thing is for people who qualify for food benefits is they also automatically qualify for free or reduced-price lunches in the school for a greater benefit.”

Hanson also added that they usually have a 75 percent approval rating for services. But the month of February was at about 65 percent, because of the increase in the number of people who say they need help but find they don’t qualify.

“Those are people that have lost their jobs but have severance pay or had two part-time jobs and were making it but lost one. It’s very difficult,” she said. “We have seen people come in with $5,000-per-month mortgages, and it’s not uncommon to see $1,500 or $2,000 mortgages, and we run a poverty program.”

“For a family of four – either a single parent with three children or two parents and two children – the maximum cash benefit is $407. That’s not really enough to pay some of the rents and mortgages out there,” she continued.

She added that staff can refer those people facing foreclosure or immediate homelessness to area shelters or agencies, such as the Delaware Housing Authority, for home retention workshops, and they refer others who might not qualify to area food closets or food banks.

Not surprisingly, as the need increases, the workload has increased significantly for those working in social services.

“It’s very difficult [on the social workers] trying to maintain [services] with a hiring freeze and vacancies, but we try to make sure they have the tools they need,” Hanson noted.

Also, this past week, Sen. Tom Carper and Congressman Mike Castle were in Dover, celebrating the changes to the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program packages that took place Jan. 1 of this year.

The new packages include vouchers that are aligned with the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and infant feeding practice guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics and now offer fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to the milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, juice, peanut butter and beans that have been staples of the program for years.

“It’s based on a review from the Institute of Medicine,” said Joanne White, director of WIC for Delaware. “Foods that are lower in fat and higher in fiber. This is the first change in years and is a major, major change.”

Delaware’s WIC program assists pregnant women, mothers and children up to age 5 with vouchers for specific foods at area stores. Specific food packages are determined by nutritional needs and the age of the child. According to the program, the food packages “better promote and support the establishment of successful, long-term breastfeeding and provide WIC participants with a wider variety of foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains.”

Separate income guidelines are used for WIC participants and for people applying for food benefits. To be eligible for WIC benefits, a family of four making less than $755 gross weekly or $39,220 gross yearly may qualify.

Stores in the immediate area that accept WIC are Food Lion in Millville, Selbyville and Millsboro; Harris Teeter in Millsboro, the Super Giant in Millsboro and the Wal-Marts in Seaford, Georgetown and Rehoboth Beach.

For more information or for specific eligibility requirements on food stamps benefits, WIC or any other social service in Delaware, visit www.dhss.delaware.gov online.