A dollar and sixty cents per meal, per person was the maximum amount of money allotted to food stamp recipients before the national increase earlier this month.
"It's a supplemental program," said Terry Smith, director of family assistance for New Hampshire's Department of Health and Human Services. "[Recipients will] be getting a bigger supplement but it still won't meet all of their food needs."
The increase, which is a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, gives a household of four a maximum balance of $688 a month, or $1.85 per person, per meal.
But according to Smith, the across-the-board approach to food stamps wasn't the most helpful way to reach those in need.
"It doesn't matter if you're in Alaska where the cost of food is very high or if you're in Florida where shipping costs are almost nothing and food is a lot cheaper," said Smith, who finds food costs in New Hampshire to be about average compared to other states. "The increase was the same for all states."
Durham, which has a low assistance need when compared to other towns in the state, still has families that rely on the assistance they receive from the food stamp program.
"There's no question that Durham doesn't have the same magnitude of need compared to other towns," said Larry Brickner-Wood, who serves as both the University of New Hampshire's campus minister as well as the executive director of the Cornucopia Food Pantry. "But people think that affluent towns don't have a need at all, and that's not the case."
Like Durham, New Hampshire overall has a relatively low assistance need. But according to Smith, those needs are increasing.
"We usually get about 8,300 applicants a month [for family assistance]," said Smith. "But because of the economy we're up by about 17 percent."
Durham's Cornucopia is also feeling the economic strain that families are under this year. The number of donations is down for the Spring Earth Day food baskets put out by the food pantry puts out every year around Easter.
"We're way short on donations," said Brickner-Wood. "We've had gaps before but nothing like this."
For Eileen Johnson, a junior sociology and justice studies major, any increase in assistance for families in need is a good thing.
"I'm sure some families abuse [food stamps] and use it inappropriately, but for those who need it every little bit helps," said Johnson, who interned at the Massachusetts Department of Social Services. "I worked with families who relied on food stamps, and any increase helps make their lives a little easier."
The increase averages out to be about $20 more per month, per person and still won't cover all food needs.
"People are still going to have to supplement their food needs by other means," said Smith. "They're still going to have to make use of food pantries, town welfare and school lunch programs."
The nationwide increase went into effect April 1 and the extra monthly allotment will be automatically added to recipients' electronic benefit transfer card.
To donate or request assistance from Cornucopia, go to www.cornucopia.unh.edu.
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