Several Greensboro food banks need extra help in restoring their pantries. In part because of a glitch in the new food stamp system the Guilford County Department of Social
Services is installing. As a result, in the beginning of June, 4,000 families did not have food stamp benefits. Guilford County is one of 4 test sites in North Carolina for the new software program.
So for the past two weeks, they've turned to area food banks including; the Greensboro Urban Ministry. And Executive Director Reverend Mike Aiken says now they need help , "Typically for food banks donations go down because people go on vacation. And then we found out because of these food stamps we gave double the number of food orders we
normally give, 50 per day and we ended up giving 100 a day."
Reverend Aiken says the ministry is reaching out to its supporters for food donations to help replenish their supplies. On average, the Greensboro Urban Ministry feeds about
1,000 people a week through various programs. Adding to the strain is that children who would normally receive free or reduced cost school lunches are out for the summer, increasing the demand by families for food.
At the same time, on Capitol Hill, Democrats and Republicans are debating on how to reduce the national food stamp program. Last year, the program cost $78 billion. Reverend Aiken says in all communities across the country, the food stamp program is essential to helping families and the economy, "It also seems to me as an economist it's pumping needed financial resources back into the community as people get the food stamps spend the money in the grocery stores, and that money circulates into the economy. So that's a fantastic stimulus program."
Reverend Aiken says he's concerned a repeat of the computer glitch will happen early next month, leaving thousands of Guilford County families without food stamps.
