Benefits for severely disabled children scrutinized, By Jenny Gold, August 18, 2011, National Public Radio: “To those who believe the federal Supplemental Security Income program for severely disabled children is a lifesaver and not a boondoggle, Hulston Poe is a great example. The 4-year-old was diagnosed with severe ADHD last October, after more than a year of violent temper tantrums, and kicked out of preschool. Case workers said there wasn’t much they could do for him. ‘We were at a standstill,’ says his mother, Suzanne Poe, who was scraping by as a single parent of two in Des Moines, Iowa. Then doctors recommended that she enroll her son in the SSI program this year, and everything changed. A monthly check of $674 helps pay for Hulston’s day care, a private tutor and medicines. Perhaps most importantly, the program made Hulston newly eligible for Medicaid, the joint state-federal health insurance program for the poor. He gained access to the doctors he needed…”
Day: August 19, 2011
SNAP and Farmers Markets – Virginia
SNAP cards give low-income customers access to farmers markets, By Lindsey Nair, August 17, 2011, Roanoke Times: “Elbert “Tee” Reynolds has become the official greeter at the West End Community Market in Roanoke, where every Tuesday afternoon he swipes customers’ benefit cards and hands them wooden tokens. The cards represent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for low-income families, while the tokens represent welcome cash for hardworking local farmers. Reynolds, a SNAP recipient who volunteers at the market, said some families who live in the surrounding neighborhoods do not have easy access to fresh, healthy food. Until recently, residents did not shop at the farmers market because they didn’t have the money…”