Low-income families often times get frustrated about the lack of programs available to them. What these low-income families might realize is that some of the programs that they are looking for do exist, but the government is not advertising them. They figure that the fewer people that know about these programs, the less interest will be shown in these programs, and the government will not have to pick up the tab for these programs. In this article, low-income families will be given some idea of what programs might be available right in their local communities, but there is no information on them because they figure if no one shows any interest, they can utilize the grant money that has been given for those programs towards other programs that they feel would better benefit from the money.
Two of the newer programs that have been around in some states and cities in the last few years, and are in jeopardy of being cut from the budget due to lack of interest, are the use of EBT Food Stamp Cards and WIC (Women Infants and Children) checks at local Farmer’s Markets. Not all Farmer’s Markets are set up to accept and honor these programs, but more and more are becoming open to the option and possibility of allowing this for those who utilize and qualify for those programs. The Government is cracking down more and more about what can and can’t be purchased with the EBT Food Stamp Cards, so why not allow them at the Farmer’s Markets where people can go buy items such as fresh produce? The vendors at the Farmer’s Markets have everything available from fresh fruits and vegetables, to fresh eggs, just to name a few of the options.
There are different housing programs also available to help people with low income, or subsidized housing. Different programs have different requirements that might be different by state, and sometimes even by county. Some programs state that you must be elderly to qualify for the program, some programs state that you must be disabled to qualify for the program, and some programs state that you must be both elderly and disabled to qualify for their program. You really need to read the fine print and make phone calls to the different agencies or organizations to make sure that you understand their policies correctly, and that you qualify for what they have to offer.
Another program that some families may not know about, but might be eligible for, is the free or reduced meals program in some public school programs. This program ensures that all enrolled school students get one or two healthy meals a day provided to them by the schools either free or at a reduced rate. This program is vital to those families who can’t afford to feed their children three healthy meals a day, because proper nutrition is vital to help them learn to the best of their ability.
To find out more about these programs and other programs, and if they are available in your local communities, you can look in the government pages of your phone book, or on-line if you have Internet access.