Food Stamp Crunch Intensifies

(CBS)  Midnight might not seem like an ideal time to open grocery store doors.

But on the first of the month, it is, CBS News correspondent Seth Doane reports.

In the afternoon, the aisles were almost empty at One-Stop Foods on Chicago's South Side, because most of the patrons there rely on food stamps - and their monthly allotments had run dry.

"They're struggling to get through the month," Dennis Kladis, the store's owner, said. "So the minute they get their money back, they come shopping!"

The benefit money is electrically deposited on a debit card. For many there, it comes just after midnight on the first of each month.

For Maranatha Mays, the moment can't come soon enough.

How long has it been since she last were able to come to the store and buy food?

"Like two weeks ago," Mays said.

She lost her job six months ago, and her family of six gets $369 a month in food stamps.

"It really like, cut me out," she said. "I'm really not eating. Because my kids have to eat before me."

Getting through the month is a stretch.

"Do you notice the cost of food going up?" Doane asked grocery shopper Myeisha Collins.

"Yeah, because you could buy a bulk of cheese for like $10. Now it's almost $13. Milk use to be like $2; now it's almost $5," she said.

The midnight madness is a come-as-you-are event.

Owner Dennis Kladis makes sure there are lots of sale items. And he says he does more volume in the first few hours of the month - than in entire days at the end.

"They're trying to make the same ends meet on the same money - while prices go up … so, it's an indictment on what's been going on," Kladis said.

Food stamps are only designed to supplement food budgets. And now the working poor are relying on them more and more. And they need to spend their cash elsewhere.

---

Read more about the food-stamp struggle over at Couric & Co. blog.

---

"Do you worry that a lot of the stuff you're buying isn't the healthiest?" Doane asked Terrelyn Watkins.

"Yea, but I know it's cheap," she said. "I mean, if you don't pay Con Ed - you're gonna get your lights cut out. If you don't pay people gas - your gas is gonna get cut off."

Watkins makes about $25,000 a year as a dental technician. But supporting two kids, one job doesn't do it.

"It's just crazy out there. People are doing what they have to do to make a living," she said.

Michael Jordan and his partner, Renee Bishop, both work in health care. But their salaries aren't feeding their kids - and food stamps don't last.

"Whoever making … these prices go up? They need to make 'em go back down," Jordan said.

They're not shy about asking for help.

"The costs are high! I'm about to ask you for a little ... change!" Jordan said.

But change isn't coming anytime soon. The government won't consider raising food stamp allotments until October.

[asil41]

...first off, people need to count their blessings, $369 and you are complaining, but you have 6 COUNT EM' 6 kids. Second, as far as the other parent, I make WAY LESS than 25,000 per yr, I WISH I could see 25,000 in a yr. But with what I make, I pay my bills, my rent, my kids(2) eat off of LESS THAN 369 and we are fine. We get low but its a low that last til the next shopping round. So I dont complain, I just say thank God cause we could be starving all together. People not budgeting right, they tryna buy things they cant really afford. One thing people need to do is take advantage of birth control instead of foodstamps. These women need to stop tryna live WAY beyond their means tryna impress these men that DONT want em' PERIOD, AND STOP SELLING YOUR FOOD STAMPS to get ya hair done or buy an outfit to go to the club, while ya kids at home HUNGRY and you out drinking up the FOODSTAMPS.

[DocHollywood1955]

$369/month and they are complaining?
I am a single white disabled father who gets food stamps for myself and my 13 year old daughter.
Within days of Obongo getting elected I was notified that my food stamp benefits were going from $218/month to a whopping $16/month.
Yes, you reads that right $16.00 a month to feed 2 people.
Maybe if I was black or an illegal alien I would be able to feed my daughter.
I have worked my entire life until I got injured and this is the payback I get for paying taxes!

[redhatterb]

Some people are really cruel. For one thing your vehicle can only be of a certain value in order to receive food stmaps. These people might have borrowed a vehicle in order to get groceries. As far as remarks about weight go, there are some prescription meds that make you gain weight. Sometimes it is genetic. I am 68 years old, three of the prescription meds that I am on cause weight gain. Live off retirement soc. sec. of $600 a month, on food stamps, and the reason a lot of people buy junk food is because it is cheaper than healthy foods. I can''t afford to drink milk at the price it is now. A lot of people buy their whole months supply of groceries at one time, so if it looked like somebody was buying a lot of meat, junk food, etc., that could be why. How does anybody know exactly what kind of clothes and jewelry the women were wearing. It could have been hand me downs and dollar store stuff. Maybe even bought at a thrift store. Nobody has any way of knowing exactly what anybody''s situation was.

[keithle1]

Tie your tubes. Tie your boyfriend''s p e n i s in a knot. Whatever it takes to stop poor people from having children. It''s ridiculous. Insane. Makes no sense. Stop it now! You''re not doing your kids any favors!

[libsluv2spit]

every wonder why most ''poor'' people are fat and obese???

[libsluv2spit]

for your continued support and vote..The DNC will make sure welfare freeloading continues..

[auntiemilis1]

It is *** to sorport freeloaders who have income and speand on things they want instead of what they need. I get SSDI which is about $657 a month. I also get $48 in food stamps my rent takes $295 of my buget then phone $156 that includes home and cell and DSL witch is one of my plesers and the rest is for what I need it make me very mad when I see people spend it on drugs and alchol athings that they do not need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[babooph]

Maybe they will all become rich& not have to pay social security ,have 15% dividend taxes,& a safe ,gated comunity to live in-after they pay their social security & income tax ;that is.

[scott743]

$25000 a year with two kids.... I manage to support my wife (disabled) and daughter on less! I work full time and go to school full time. I asked for help but was denied. As for the woman with 6 kids and says she''s only getting $369, she is pulling your leg... that is such bull.. I know of a woman with 6 kids, her husband left her and is a "deadbeat dad" she is pulling about $600/mo.

Oh! and another thing.. the comments on this site are for the most part true.. nice luxury cars and designer clothes? C''mon people wake up! You need to sell that SUV and buy a used car.. quit showing off like you''e got something...

[keithle1]

I''m not sure why minorities think every white person has money. Black men coming up to me on the street to beg for money like I own my own bank or something. Never fails. Not like I''m wearing a three-piece suit & stepping out of a Bentley with my wife draped in jewels & furs.

Lots of poor white people out there.

Q: Do black people have issues with birth control?