Midnight Madness

By: Seth Doane
Topics: Field Notes

(CBS)

Seth Doane is a CBS News correspondent based in New York.

"I'm not eating that much," Maranatha Mays told me, because "my kids have to eat before I do."

That's a choice that more and more Americans who depend on food stamps have to make as the costs of the basics go up – while their benefits stay the same. Mays, who depends on food stamps, hasn't been able to shop for groceries for about two weeks.

Food stamps don't stretch as far as they used to as the cost of groceries go up. By the end of the month, some shoppers at One Stop Foods on Chicago's south side told us, they are getting hungry.

I asked shopper Michael Jordan, a home health aide, how long his food stamps lasted his family. "Out of the month … about three weeks," Jordan said. Read my complete report here.

Food stamps are only meant to supplement family food budgets, but the working poor are feeling pinched from all sides and their cash is going elsewhere.

Nearly 28 million Americans receive food stamps – and the average household that receives food stamps earns $673 per month, according to the USDA's 2006 figures.

One Stop Foods' owner, Dennis Kladis, found that he was doing more business in the first few hours of the month than in entire days at the end of the month because the food stamps for many of his customers are electronically deposited into their accounts just after midnight on the first of each month.

So, Kladis started opening his store once a month at midnight to cater to folks who've just received their food-stamp money.

On the night we visited, July 1st, the aisles were packed well after midnight as shoppers took advantage of sales, shopped for the upcoming holiday, and took advantage of finally having more money in their food stamp accounts, which is called "Link" in Illinois.

"The minute their link card is activated – they come," Kladis told me, "…because they're struggling to get through the month."

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by perez5308 July 3, 2008 5:40 PM EDT: I am so glad that I am not the only one that is ticked off about this sympathy thing they have going on. Did anyone see one thing that all these people had in common? I did! I have a family of four and we always worry about getting by. I work part time to spend more time with my kids and because daycare is outrageous...also because I was tired of working 40 hours a week to barely get by and never see my kids. Atleast now...I barely get by and get to see my kids more! My husband and I can''t have another baby because people like this enjoy living off of the state. It''s our money yet we don''t get any of it! How fair is that? I don''t feel sorry for one person on this video. How about doing a story on the working families out there that struggle getting groceries and paying their bills and our old veterans that have to live on a fixed income or homeless for that matter. They are the ones that should be living for free...they have done enough for this country and deserve it. I bet their wondering what they fought for now!!! We are all average americans trying to get by in this screwed up world and you guys do a report on the people that are making things worse for us!! Very nice!! I''ll give you my address if you ever want to do a report on real struggling americans with families to feed and bills to pay! A husband that works 18 days straight to provide for his family and a mom that works part time and does school part time and has a full time job at home!; Reply to this comment


by brianky1 July 2, 2008 11:21 PM EDT: I''m confused. Which person are we supposed to feel sorry for? The one with the Armani shirt, the one with the matching earrings and gold bracelet, the one with the salon styled hair and manicured eyebrows or the one with the expensive braids and the crab legs in his cart? Why not do a story on the abuse and missuse of these federal and state programs? I manage a grocery store and could give countless testimonials to the colossal waste these programs subsidize. I have customers on these benefits that drive Lincoln Navigators and Mercedes, have I-phones, run their own vending businesses (using benefits to pay for the pop and chips that they resale)I could go on and on! Do a story on that!!!!Or maybe on the elderly man I saw this afternoon using the price checker at the back of the store to add up his menial selection of groceries because he didn''t want to get in line and realize he didn''t have enough money...Or maybe on the employee I gave $20 bucks to today after he came to me and said he hadn''t eaten in two days. This person rides their bike to work and lives in a pay-by-the-week hotel just barely surviving but doesn''t qualify for benefits!?!? How can this be??? Do a story on that but don''t insult us by putting on a pitty party for a bunch of people who are beating the system and *** us taxpayers in the process. You should be ashamed!; Reply to this comment


by sdaughtry-2009 July 2, 2008 10:56 PM EDT: I''m so glad I''m not the only sighted person who can see these goverment issued food stamps being
so abused by abled people who can
and should be more responsible.; Reply to this comment


by seawitch1313 July 2, 2008 10:46 PM EDT: This whole report just got me going! At least these people HAVE some help! What about us so-called middle income families who make maybe $10.00 over the food stamp limit and are turned down for help. We aren''t running around with salon nails and designer shirts. I''d like to see them try to feed 4 people on $80.00 a week and do without their luxuries. State/Gov. help should be available to everyone that needs it, reguardless of income especially now with prices sky high! Bet these people get heating help too while my family and I sit here worrying about how we''re going to pay for heating fuel in 3 months. Nice going CBS.......time to dig farther into the story for all of us Americans struggling.; Reply to this comment


by sdaughtry-2009 July 2, 2008 10:46 PM EDT: Rewind this and you''ll see a young
lady in $50.00 blue jeans & $100.00
shoes loading a $20,000 Tahoe that
get''s 15 miles to the gallon with
groceries she bought with my tax
dollars. That''s one side of america
and here is the other.I ware thrift
store jeans,$25.00 dollar steeltoed
work boots form Wal-mart and every
other week I spend &200.00 at my
grocery store out of my $300.00 pay
check and load it into my old 1991
Honda and feed my family of three.
Live by your means America.; Reply to this comment


by mtgould July 2, 2008 10:44 PM EDT: Look at what is in their carts, give me a break. Way too much meat and a bunch of name brand groceries. Maybe folks on food stamps should be taught how to shop to get the best bang for our buck.; Reply to this comment


by July 2, 2008 10:32 PM EDT: Why are these people complaining when they are at least getting some help-I''m going through Radiation for Breast Cancer - feel like death on acracker- and still have to work- if I want to eat and keep my familys insurance. I saw afamily with 3 children saying they only got $300 amonth for food stamps- Look in there carts half there food you or I won''t beable to afford what they are eating - how about eating afew more vegtables and not all that meat-; Reply to this comment


by aginnc July 2, 2008 10:31 PM EDT: Wait a minute....I saw this segment with my family and I have a couple of concerns. We noticed that Ms. Mays, who was quoted as saying, %u201CI%u2019m not eating that much,%u201D looked more than healthy to me. In addition to that she was wearing an Armani designer shirt. So you are telling me that you can''t afford to feed your family and yourself, but you can afford an Armani shirt? I am not on food stamps and never have been BUT I CAN''T AFFORD AN ARMANI SHIRT. I am jealous!! Can someone tell me how I can get some food stamps too?
In addition, while looking at the overly stuffed carts of food we noticed that everything was pre-packaged/prepared. Isn''t that more expensive than buying the staples and preparing meals? Oh and the cases of soda - there has to be a better (and cheaper) alternative. What in the world???
Finally, in the closing scene some food stamp recipients were loading their groceries into an expensive gas guzzling later model Jeep SUV. Here again my husband and I both work, but we can''t afford A. a $40,000 SUV and B. even if we could we couldn''t afford the gas to put in it. Maybe they should consider their priorities. Seems like a more economical choice in vehicles would leave more money for basic needs, such as feeding their families.; Reply to this comment


by princesa2468 July 2, 2008 10:23 PM EDT: I have a serious problem with people receiving food stamps and claiming they don''t have any money for food, yet having artificial nails obviously done at a salon. Im sorry but maintaining artificial nails is at least $30 every two weeks. There is an extra $60 that could be used to feed your kids.; Reply to this comment