Jobless statistics boil down to this: struggling families

SALEM -- The number of Oregonians seeking state help in the form of food stamps or cash assistance jumped again last month, prompting those who work with needy families and seniors to say they're worried about the winter.



With unemployment spiking and cold nights approaching, Joanne Fuller, human services director for Multnomah County, says she fears people will be forced to make terrible choices: Should they use their money for food or heat? Or rent?



"People losing jobs now, in this economy, are going to take a long time to get new jobs," Fuller said Monday. "And they're going to need food stamps for a while, too."







More than 22,000 Oregon families received cash welfare assistance last month, up 16.1 percent from October 2007. Nearly a half million Oregonians -- 499,012 -- received food stamps in October, according to new statewide data.



The number of people asking for help with food, utilities or other basics is rising in every part of Oregon. But some of the hardest hit areas -- Bend and Medford -- were recently among the state's fastest-growing economies.



The number of households receiving welfare cash in the Bend area rose 30 percent last month compared with October 2007.



In southern Oregon, the number of people receiving cash assistance in Josephine and Jackson counties was up 26 percent. The number of households relying upon food stamps was up more than 18 percent.



"I've been here 16 years and this is more than I've ever seen," said Lisa Lewis, the state's self-sufficiency program manager for the Medford area.



Many of the people asking the state for help have never been in a welfare office before. They are "blue-collar professionals," Lewis said. "They're dry-wallers, electricians, plumbers."



Food stamp eligibility



Oregon families must have low incomes to qualify for food stamps. The amount is on a sliding scale. For example, benefits range from $14 per month to $426 per month for a family of three. The maximum income for a family of three to qualify would be $2,713 a month.



To find out if your family qualifies, call Oregon SafeNet: 1-800-723-3638 or see the online benefits calculator ...