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BENEFITS SERVING OTHER NEEDS, TOO

June 14, 2009 12:36 am

The $19 billion in stimulus money pumped into food stamps won't quiet hungry Americans' rumbling stomachs, hunger advocates say.

But some of that money could provide peaceful moments in a chaotic Stafford County household.

On a recent evening, the Hernandez children grew tired and grumpy soon after dinner.

The six kids--three of whom wake up at 6 a.m. to make the Head Start bus--began fighting over coloring books, blanket-and-pillow forts and puzzles.

Then Israel Hernandez walked into the kitchen and cut up a honeydew.

The double-wide trailer in White Oak grew calm instantly.

The children, ages 1 to 9, wandered to the table, sat down and quietly gobbled up the green melon.

More bang for the buck

And thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Israel and Penny Hernandez should have more of those moments ahead.

The $3 melons might not seem like a magic bullet for saving the sagging economy.

But food stamp investments multiply--each dollar given to the nutrition program pumps $1.73 into the economy, said Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Economy.

So when Penny Hernandez uses her food stamp card to pay for a melon, she puts the equivalent of $5.19 into circulation.

Her family received an increase of $124 each month from the stimulus package--which increased food stamp benefits by 13.6 percent as of April 1.

"This is sort of a two-fer: It's helping the least advantaged among us, but it's also providing a stimulus to the economy," said Robert Rycroft, economics professor at the University of Mary Washington. "It will provide a short-term dose of stimulus. It will also provide support to people who've been most harmed by our current economic mess."

DESPERATE CHOICES

The Hernandez family felt the impact of the recession early on--by the summer of 2006 when Israel Hernandez lost his construction job.

The couple lost their spacious King George County home soon after.

And the fruit so loved by the Hernandez children--melons, bananas and apples--disappeared, too.

A family therapist mentioned that the children needed more fruit. Penny Hernandez admitted she couldn't afford such luxuries.

After her husband lost his job, they moved in with Penny's parents in southern Stafford, and later moved into a trailer on her parents' land.

Penny, a county native, got a job driving an ice cream truck--seasonal work with a fluctuating paycheck.

She and Israel also helped out with Penny's father's water-testing business.

The family was able to stay afloat, but barely. Fruits and vegetables became a luxury.

It's a choice many struggling Americans make, said Sophie Milam, senior domestic policy analyst for hunger group Bread for the World.

"Your food budget is one of the most flexible areas," Milam said. "That's the part of people's budgets that gets tampered with when they can't make ends meet."

FEEDING CHILDREN

The family therapist suggested food stamps. Penny Hernandez applied through the Stafford County Department of Social Services and began receiving benefits in November.

She originally received $252 each month in food stamp benefits, but the amount later increased.

By March, she got $618 a month--enough to feed all six children, she said. Penny spends about $400 each month on food ordered from Schwan's. The home-delivery service sends a salesman who stocks her freezer with packages of frozen rice and vegetables, corn dogs, chicken and more. The company accepts food stamps, which is perfect for Penny, who admits she hates to cook.

She said her monthly benefits fluctuate with income, but still help her buy "good food that I know my kids will eat."

NO EASY CURE

But many food stamp recipients say the benefits don't carry them through the month.

Hunger advocates such as Milam push for better benefits. The food stamp allotments increase annually. But in recent years, Milam said, the 2.7 percent increase hasn't kept up with rising food costs.

The average food stamp benefit gives people $1.25 per meal, Milam said.

And while the stimulus boost will help, Milam said, the increase isn't a cure for hunger.

"It's really just something to get people through a crisis time," she said. "We aren't making long-term adjustments."

Food stamp recipients will repay the increase by forgoing the usual annual bumps in benefits, she said.

Basically, the $19 billion in stimulus money going to food stamps will mitigate the impact of the recession, Milam said.

But even before the economy tanked, about 10 percent of Americans received food stamps. And 11 percent of Americans worried about how to get their next meal.

Some area residents reported seeing only a small increase after the stimulus went into effect.

One single mom said she got enough money to buy a few more gallons of milk each month. That milk won't necessarily provide more stimulus than other government projects, Rycroft said.

But it will stimulate the economy more quickly.

"If you want a quick response, that's probably the way to do it," the economics professor said.

People with lower incomes are more likely "to spend every penny they receive," he said.

That's true for the Hernandez family. As soon as her benefits increased, Penny bought two large watermelons, which her children devoured.

She plans to buy more melons and other fruit with the extra money. And perhaps buy herself a few quiet moments.

Amy Flowers Umble: 540/735-1973
Email: aumble@freelancestar.com