General Discussion

noamnety

(20,234 posts)

33. I was on WIC coupons for a few years.

Sat May 17, 2014, 11:32 PM

May 2014

I didn't need someone to explain nutrition to me or how to cook from scratch. Being poor didn't mean I was ignorant.

I didn't have time to go sit in class once a week to learn how to eat, didn't have a way to get there, and often wouldn't have had anyone to watch my kid if I went.

I would have liked a rebate program like savingstar that would give rebates on healthy items, that could go into another account that could be used for toilet paper and toothpaste. I also would have appreciated digital coupons that could be loaded straight to the card (I had coupons back then, but if it were a bridge card type thing). I'm thinking e-coupons for healthy items, like how cellfire lets me load coupons to my kroger card.

I also would have liked a produce truck that came to our area for us occasionally. Even in Ann Arbor, the stores didn't have manageable prices on produce and a lot of us didn't have reliable transportation to get to the town a half hour away that had a cheap store for that. So one person from our townhouses would plan a trip and go around to all the neighbors and collect their shopping lists and money and buy for everyone. It would have been a lot nicer if we could have put in orders online, and had some way to get it back to a pickup point for us, if we couldn't have the produce truck come around.

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What I'd like to do to improve the food stamp program [View all] cali May 2014 OP

I would have to think that time is a big issue for many food stamp recipients dsc May 2014 #1

it is for many, but not for all, and you could hold these things at times that fit for people cali May 2014 #3

I think they should raise the Food Stamp allowance yeoman6987 May 2014 #2

I don't think I agree. First of all, most Americans and that includes food stamp recipients cali May 2014 #4

I know what you are saying yeoman6987 May 2014 #6

Many poor folk live in inner cities and rural areas .... etherealtruth May 2014 #8

I think you might be on to a good idea. ohnoyoudidnt May 2014 #11

Many people on food stamps gollygee May 2014 #25

"Don't tell ME what to do! I'll eat what I want to eat." FrodosPet May 2014 #70

SNAP worker since 2009 Puzzledtraveller May 2014 #5

I like your idea. Laelth May 2014 #56

I think it is very complicated etherealtruth May 2014 #7

I would love to hear from folks on Food Stamps yeoman6987 May 2014 #9

My thoughts come from working with "the poor" (first career/ not current one) etherealtruth May 2014 #10

DU is cruel to the poor? Tree-Hugger May 2014 #38

As I said Du can occaisionally be cruel to the poor etherealtruth May 2014 #59

I have been on food stamps for 2 and a half years. You're hearing from someone who cali May 2014 #15

Thank you! yeoman6987 May 2014 #22

thank you and right back at you. cali May 2014 #48

I was on them for 6 months while caretaking my mother a year and a half ago. There was an allotment adirondacker May 2014 #23

You bring up an interesting point yeoman6987 May 2014 #24

sounds like you really know what you're doing when it comes to shopping for food! cali May 2014 #49

I was on WIC coupons for a few years. noamnety May 2014 #33

I am on food stamps Tree-Hugger May 2014 #39

I live in a rural area and granted it's different here- cali May 2014 #14

Wonderful etherealtruth May 2014 #17

I like this idea. LWolf May 2014 #12

I like this idea a lot etherealtruth May 2014 #13

Exactly. LWolf May 2014 #16

This isn't practical. noamnety May 2014 #18

Sure it is. LWolf May 2014 #20

It's practical at some locations, and not at others. noamnety May 2014 #29

It's called remodeling. LWolf May 2014 #62

Remodeling to me implies rearranging an existing space. noamnety May 2014 #65

We renovated several years back. LWolf May 2014 #67

Who's nutrition information will we follow? Shandris May 2014 #19

I would follow a nutritional plan that included: LWolf May 2014 #21

Erm...there's a potential problem in the interaction of 1 and 3 Shandris May 2014 #26

Both. LWolf May 2014 #64

Ahhh, okay, I see the direction you're going now. Shandris May 2014 #68

The pizza? LWolf May 2014 #69

I largely agree with your list cali May 2014 #50

You're probably correct about the sugar. LWolf May 2014 #63

I hate to fall back on common sense, but.... cali May 2014 #40

Look, I know that has a nice ring to it, but... Shandris May 2014 #44

you are packing angels on the head of a pin and trying to set them to tap dancing cali May 2014 #45

I...what? Shandris May 2014 #51

So many of the ideas in this thread presuppose someone has available transportation Fumesucker May 2014 #27

Granted it's specifically tailored to my small town where we do have those things cali May 2014 #41

Everyone in your town has transportation? Fumesucker May 2014 #54

the vast majority of people do, yes. It's rural. and there are always people cali May 2014 #55

It's been my experience that there's always ~someone~ who gets left out of such things Fumesucker May 2014 #57

yes, there are people that get left out of things. cali May 2014 #60

Message auto-removed Name removed May 2014 #66

Don't be so judgmental about people on food stamps. dem in texas May 2014 #28

Again, I'M ON FOODSTAMPS. cali May 2014 #46

Cooperative Extension Services already has all that information csziggy May 2014 #30

What you're suggesting could be informative PSAs, no need to target just the food stamp recipients. reformist2 May 2014 #31

A lot of people, poor or not, have no idea how to cook a meal from scratch Lydia Leftcoast May 2014 #32

Yeah, because people on food stamps have so much time to join cooking clubs. Beausoir May 2014 #34

I am on food stamps. and yes, I know a lot of people who could do this. cali May 2014 #42

I think this is unrealistic in many areas, in real terms. When I was in social services, pinto May 2014 #35

Sure, it wouldn't work everywhere, but I think it would work where I live. cali May 2014 #47

I wish they would give people meal vouchers at local diner type restaurants. Cleita May 2014 #36

They should be more specific, and should exclude some things SoCalDem May 2014 #37

btw, I'm not suggesting this be part of the SNAP program itself cali May 2014 #43

I think home ec. should be brought back for all students My Good Babushka May 2014 #52

so do I- an improved home ec- but this is not singling out the poor. cali May 2014 #53

I was speaking more to the people who advocate My Good Babushka May 2014 #58

agreed. I do not support the concept that people on food stamps shouldn't have cali May 2014 #61

Another food stamp user here. My gut says I am too proud to need the help but that kind of info jwirr May 2014 #71

I lived in my car for 3 months & steaming veggies was my last concern. U4ikLefty May 2014 #72

that is particularly rough cali May 2014 #73