SNAP

My appointment at the aide office (that's what they used to call it when I was younger) went well. I prayed and prayed on my way there that my car wouldn't run out of gas. God heard me, I made it there safely at about 7:54. My appointment was at 8:15. The lady told me there would be a line. There was one guy standing at the door and a lot of people waiting in their cars. At one point, one man got out of his car and all of the rest of the people followed suit. I didn't know if it was "first come, first serve" or what, but I made my way to the line and was number 6. It wasn't even 8am yet, but we were all there, standing in the snow and cold, freezing. One man was shivering, his jacket was so thin. I wanted to ask him if he needed a coat. I had an extra wool jacket in my car (the one I used to wrap my feet in to keep my tootsie's warm). I was gonna ask him if he wanted it, but it was kind of awkward. I didn't feel as much shame as I felt when I went to apply for the Homeward Bound program. I'm not sure why--maybe it's because I was past the stage of being ashamed. My situation was what it was and I had been humiliated already, so standing in line for food stamps was no more humiliating than sleeping in my car.

When we got inside, I was kind of expecting the place to be dirty and the people to be rude, but the office was nicely decorated. We formed the line coming in and one girl went straight to the window to tell the receptionist that she had an appointment. The receptionist told her she had to stand in line. The girl loudly complained that she was rude. The receptionist proceeded to call individuals who had appointments. Even though I had an appointment, I wasn't sure if my name would be called--I had just applied last week. Sure enough she called my name. After going to the window to acknowledge that I was present, she told me to have a seat. That's when I saw Skylar.

I was apprehensive about who I might see at the office. I was sure I was gonna see a former student of mine or a parent of a former student of mine and sure enough, the first person in line--he was the first person waiting at the door) was my former student--Skylar. I cant't remember Skylar's real name, but that's what everyone called him. He was a troubled student, had dropped out of school. I saw him this summer. I encouraged him to go back to school. I thought it was ironic that the both of us was standing in line at the aide office, and I wanted to speak to him, but it was a little awkward--me asking him how he was doing and wanting to encourage him to go back to school. I was standing in need myself. How could I encourage someone else??

After sitting down, I decided to pull out some paperwork that I needed for my unemployment claim. I didn't get very far because I was the first name called. That made me happy!!!!

Jenna was the lady that helped me. She was very nice. I didn't have to explain anything. She had my unemployment information there. She simply explained to me that I would be getting the maximum for 6 months and then I'd have to reapply. The maximum was $200. However, my first month I would get $153 because I did get one unemployment payment. I wanted to tell her my whole situation, but I decided that the pity party was over, so there was no need. I qualified and she was gonna help me with the information that she had. I was in and out of her office in not time. She explained to me that if my income changed I would need to report it ASAP. I noticed she had an article posted on her wall "13 Women Charged in Welfare Fraud". She gave me the printout that said I was eligible for immediate benefits and told me to turn the paper in to the window out front when they called my name. She walked me to the door and I sat again waiting for my name to be called.

I had never applied for food stamps myself, but I have had a medical card. So all of this was kind of new to me, but not totally. When we were little, my mom received food stamps. This was when the food stamps were actual paper money--the colored paper money. I remember there was a comedian who made a joke that when he was little his family got food stamps and when he got to be 13, he got a job and they paid him in cash. He said he thought he had been cheated out of his money because the only money he had every had was the colored food stamps, not green money, so he gave it back to his employer and told him to give him his "real money." Of course he said it with comedic flair, and it was funny. Now, we have the LINK card. It's like a debit card. I gave the lady the papers when she called my name (again I was first in line) and she entered some information into the computer, verified that I was who I was and handed me a LINK card with instructions how to activate it with a pin number. She told me I could call the number to activate it myself or I could use the phone on the wall. I chose the phone on the wall.

Of course I can't buy food today, it takes 2 days for them to load my card. So I will have $153 to use to buy food on Wednesday. I'm happy.

Hot dogs and vienna sausages are making me sick. I don't want to eat another hot dog!!!!!!

My case worker, Jenny also told me that it's no longer called "food stamps" It's called SNAP--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Thanks, federal government for the supplement!!!!