Oklahomans receiving food stamps went up in September, marking 30 straight monthly net increases

Each day, Hendrick reviews the colossal numbers of those in need.

That day in southeastern Oklahoma he wanted to hear the story of the young woman in the room seeking assistance.

She wakes at 5 each weekday morning, gets her two children ready, takes them to child care by 6:30 a.m. and arrives at work by 7 a.m. where she's a manager at a developmental disabilities group home. She's divorced and her ex-husband works in a little country general store. Even though he's paying child support and she's working, they still don't have enough money to take care of their family.

"She's driving a Ford Mustang with a couple hundred thousand miles on it," Hendrick said. "And she's just living from paycheck to paycheck, trying to make things work. This is the plight of a lot of people today."

In March 2008, the number of Oklahomans on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, was at 410,440, having dropped 7,184 from the previous month. Unemployment was 3.2 percent and holding steady.

However, disaster loomed.

This September marked the 30th straight monthly net increase in Oklahomans receiving food stamps. It is now to the point that during September about one in six Oklahomans, or 612,347, receive food stamps. And unemployment rose to 7 percent in August. Over the last 30 months, unemployment has increased by more than 100 percent and food stamp utilization has increased by almost 50 percent.

"I don't think the state's been through something like this since the Great Depression," Hendrick said. "These numbers are unprecedented, they're unprecedented for Oklahomans, they're unprecedented for the nation. We're up to over 40 million Americans on SNAP."

Who is eligible for food stamps in Oklahoma?

The gross income of a one-person household, where the individual is not disabled or over 60 years old, cannot exceed $1,174 a month. In a four-person household, it cannot exceed $2,389 a month. For a one-person household where the person is disabled or over 60, the maximum monthly net income cannot be more than $903. And in all cases, citizenship documentation is required, Hendrick said.