[1]What would you eat if you only had as little as three dollars a day for food?
A fast-growing number of Americans are finding out -- including a governor and
some C-E-O's -- now living on food stamps to drive home an important point.
Carrie Lee explains.
"Here's your juice"
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE...
"It's very difficult to try and figure out how am I gonna get through this
month."
"You get into a hole and its hard to get out."
TO MAKE ENDS MEET, ALMOST TEN PERCENT OF AMERICANS TODAY - A RECORD 29 MILLION
PEOPLE, RELY ON FOOD STAMPS -- 4 MILLION MORE THAN IN 2005.
IN MICHIGAN, THE ONLY STATE WITH RISING POVERTY AND FALLING INCOMES LAST YEAR,
IT'S THIRTEEN PERCENT.
TO HIGHLIGHT THE HUNGER CRISIS, GOVERNOR JENNIFER GRANHOLM AND OTHER STATE
OFFICIALS, AND EVEN SOME DETROIT AUTO EXECUTIVES THIS WEEK ARE LIVING ON JUST
THE SAME THE AMOUNT AS THE STATES FOOD STAMP ALLOWANCE.
"We went shopping at [myra?] Sunday night, my son and I, we had a set amount of
money that we were supposed to be shopping with then, and it's a good lesson
for him, lesson for my family..."
THE AVERAGE RECIPIENT GETS 101 DOLLARS A MONTH...
AT THREE MEALS A DAY, THAT'S ABOUT ONE DOLLAR PER MEAL.
"A lot of macaroni and cheese."
STATE OFFICIALS EXPECT, THE PROBLEM WILL ONLY GET WORSE.
The natl economics and MI's auto industry has caused poverty to grow at an
exponential level. for example, food stamps have gone up double in the last 8
years.
WITH THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN, THE THREAT IS NATIONWIDE.
Those who have recently been laid off, or lost a couple of shifts, so their
income is falling and yet they're facing higher prices at the pump and at the
grocery store, they're going to need the help of the program to put food on the
table.
[2]