My name is Zach Summerfield
I have been researching here
at the Food Justice Lab at WVU
and this is a video on SNAP
SNAP is an assistance program
from the federal government
that helps low income families
subsidize part of their monthly
food budget
It's based on income
People are more familiar
with the term food stamps
But actually they changed the
name to SNAP
It is the largest government
safety net
close to 19 percent
whatever 19 percent of
1.8 million people is
Who is on SNAP?
percentage wise
It's mostly elderly people
and children
and most people like to
embrace the stigma that
people on SNAP are just
free loaders
and people who don't
wanna work
But, in fact, from 2006 to 2013
West Virginia had an average of
of people who were
capable of working
able bodied adults
actually had a job
but their income was low enough
that they qualified for SNAP
Annually the federal government
spends about
a perfect example
is Fayette county, WV
per month 1.1 million dollars
is subsidized to
the population of the county
which in turn goes back
into the grocery stores
and the economy otherwise
we're sort of
in a place where WV
is dependent upon
these dollars to keep
the money coming in
to keep these grocery stores
that are so critical
and disappearing
open and functioning
to get people fed
