Limited Options On Food – Food Aid Recipients’ Worst Nightmare!

Limited options for food are currently being solved by food assistance programs in Wisconsin.

Destructive winter storms are also one of the causes of limited options for food assistance programs. (Photo: Ball State Daily)

The Struggle With Limited Options On Food

Leisa Winston, who looks after nine grandchildren, relies on food assistance to feed her family. A power outage during a winter storm caused $200 worth of food to spoil, leaving them with limited options for two weeks.

Despite limited options for recipients, many food aid recipients are not aware they can request replacement benefits for lost food, and some face obstacles such as needing to hand-sign a verification form. Only 6% of households affected by the January outages in Wisconsin applied for replacement benefits despite the limited options crisis.

Climate change is leading to more extreme weather, increasing the need for replacement benefits and measures for limited options of food. Wisconsin is working to simplify the process by allowing electronic signatures and working on the limited options, but the change won’t be implemented until after the typical tornado season.

According to a published article by SmartNews, this delay could pose challenges for food aid recipients facing power outages in the summer.

FoodShare

In a published article by Wisconsin Watch, to access or replace FoodShare benefits in Wisconsin, visit the Department of Health Services website for a list of local food assistance office locations and phone numbers.

Feeding Wisconsin’s FoodShare helpline can help with the application process. Hunger Task Force in Southeast Wisconsin can assist with filing replacement forms, provide kiosks with free access to phones, printers, and computers for SNAP recipients, and direct recipients to nearby pantries.

Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin also offers FoodShare application assistance, mobile pantries, and other food assistance programs.

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