FOOD ASSISTANCE RECIPIENTS EAT ICE CREAM, TOO

A woman standing in the grocery line behind an Atlanta, Georgia WIC beneficiary loudly asserted, “you know, if you’re on government assistance you really shouldn’t be buying ice cream and soda.” It’s impossible to quantify these incidents, but letters to news outlets, social media posts, and caseworker conversations reveal the unsolicited and guilt-producing remarks people using SNAP or WIC vouchers often have to contend with when grocery shopping. “I guess the assumption is that poor people should only eat certain things,” said Extriara Gates, benefits screener for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. But there’s nothing patriotic about this kind of talk or morally upstanding about it. It’s about belittling people.

Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/24/14, Shaming