Utahns' use of food stamps at new high

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For the first time, more than 70,000 Utah households are relying on food stamps to help feed their families, a new record for the state. That number equals roughly 6 percent of Utah's population.

Some of the largest increases in food stamp use have occurred in counties with economies heavily linked to development and tourism.

Washington County, home to St. George, had one of the state's highest jumps, with use leaping 55 percent between January 2008 and last January, according to new data.

The construction industry's collapse has led to a dramatic reversal of fortune for many workers.

"A lot of people who are coming in now for a food box used to be donating," said Robert Schaefer, client services manager at Dixie Care and Share, which is both a food pantry and homeless shelter. Working, middle-aged parents are helping to drive the increase, he added.

Nationwide, food stamp benefits will increase April 1, jumping 13.6 percent thanks to new federal funding through the stimulus package passed last month.

Other changes will benefit hundreds of Utahns without children, who will no longer be limited to three-month stints on food stamps. Under current rules, an "able-bodied" adult can only be on food stamps for three out of every 36 months if he or she has no dependent children.

The state will also receive $1.4 million in administrative funding that can be used to maintain staff -- who are needed to handle growing caseloads, but could be lost to state budget cuts if funding is cut.

The surge includes more men and middle-aged workers, some of whom have been living on credit cards after losing their jobs.

"They're exhausting their financial resources," said Brent Newren, manager of the Department of Workforce Services employment center in Salt Lake City.

Utah's food pantries have seen demand grow as unemployment leads more families to seek help. The number of households seeking meals from the Tooele County Food Bank doubled between January 2008 and last January. Many of the visitors had never before sought help from a food pantry.

"It's not so much embarrassment, but they are uncomfortable because they've always been able to sustain their household," said Lori Sandoval, the food bank director. "The young married couples that are coming in -- they married and thought they could support themselves with a house, a car, insurance payments, furnishings … then one or both get laid off."

At times, the demand has been so high the pantry has had to distribute less food per family to make sure enough stock was available for the rest of its clientele. That precaution was not necessary a year ago.

Tooele resident Tanya Rigby lost her job making cabinet doors at the Conestoga plant last November and initially procrastinated about signing up for food stamps.

"I didn't want to admit I needed help," said Rigby, 33.

The mother of three children, she now works at the food pantry to help low-income families sign up for utility subsidies and also receives food stamps. Her husband, who also worked at the plant, remains unemployed.

With money short, the family has eliminated its monthly movie night to save for things such as bread and milk. They had a car repossessed because they couldn't make payments.

"We don't buy as much fruit as we used to because the prices have gone up," Rigby said. "It's so hard to feed your children. They're used to having the good stuff like steak. Now we're lucky if we can get hamburger for the week."

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