East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO) announces a pilot partnership with the Charleston County Department of Social Services (DSS) by having a Food Stamp Program caseworker on site to accept Food Stamp applications.  The caseworker will be at ECCO on the first Tuesday of each month beginning on Tuesday, June 5^th.

 

Nancy Longerbeam, Program Coordinator in Charleston County says, “Based on the most recent census data there are about 2,300 people in the East Cooper area who are potentially eligible for the program but not participating.  Using an average household size of 2.4, this is about 950 families.  Having ECCO as an outreach site will provide easier access for many of this un-served population who will not travel to the North Charleston office.

 

Jack Little, Executive Director of ECCO said, “There is a great misunderstanding about the Food Stamp Program.  Administered by the Food and Nutrition Services of the United States Department of Agriculture, the program started in 1964 and is a nutritional supplement program, not a welfare program. It is designed to help low income families purchase nutritional food items they could not otherwise afford.  Some believe that recipients do not work; however, nationally 26% of all Food Stamp households have earnings.  These are people who work but are still under the income limits of the program.  Most people don’t realize that nationally children (58%) and seniors (8%) make up the majority of people participating in the program.  Only 10% of Food Stamp households are above the federal poverty level.  The program is considered our nation’s first line of defense against hunger.”

 

Longerbeam said, “The program is and has been misunderstood for a long time.  People who may be eligible may think if you have a job, a car or a house you cannot qualify.  There is also the misconception out there that if you don’t have children, you cannot qualify.  There have been changes to the program criteria over the years that result in more families being eligible.  The program serves as the foundation of America’s national nutrition safety net, working to end hunger and improve the health of low-income people by helping families buy the food they need for a nutritionally adequate diet.”

 

For more information on how to apply through this pilot partnership and make an appointment, call 849-9220.