Andrew Travers:
"Demand from Pitkin County residents for federal food assistance has increased more than five-fold in recent years.
The number of low-income locals using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) continued its dramatic rise in 2011, demonstrating continuing economic hardship for some area residents. Since 2007, the number of clients has gone up 558 percent, while the funds used have risen 836 percent.
A total of 171 county households took part in the program in 2011. They were granted a total of more than $453,000 in food vouchers.
“We are deluged,” said county health and human services director Nan Sundeen. “The demand for public assistance has grown, and staying on top of it is our biggest challenge.”
The SNAP program — which no longer uses actual stamps, but debit cards instead — allows participants to purchase bread, vegetables, meat and other food products. It blocks purchases of non-food items like vitamins, tobacco and liquor.
Due to the historically scant number of Aspenites using food stamps, the county has not typically devoted many resources to the program. The county partners with Eagle County to oversee food cards for the mid- to upper-Roaring Fork Valley. Demand has stretched both governments’ resources thin. Pitkin County paid to add a new staff position in 2010 to meet the unprecedented demand.
While the feds pay for the benefits, local governments pay to administer the program...."
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