How many U.S. Households are currently on food stamps?
The number may just surprise you…
22,329,713
That is more than 22 million households that are facing a devastating cut to their benefits.
Click here to see a breakdown by state.
Regardless of your position on the SNAP program, this news is going to impact much more than the families that are on government assistance
Any prepper or survivalist knows that the first step to any riot is almost always the same…
“If you look across the world, riots always begin typically the same way: when people cannot afford to eat food,” Margarette Purvis, the president and CEO of the
Food Bank for New York City, told Salon Monday. Purvis said that the looming cut would mean about 76 million meals “that will no longer be on the plates of the poorest families” in NYC alone – a figure that outstrips the total number of meals distributed each year by the Food Bank for New York City, the largest food bank in the country. “There will be an immediate impact,” she said.
This article,written by Tim Fernholz on Quartz.com, lays out the basics of what can be expected from Friday's food stamp reduction.
Today marks a milestone on the road from recession: The expiration of a 13.6% expansion to US food subsidies for the poor included in the fiscal stimulus bill in 2009. While the need for support hasn’t necessarily reduced (unemployment and hunger are still unusually high) there is little appetite to extend the law, and grocery budgets will shrink.
– $5 billion is being cut in the coming year. The average benefit is $278 a month for the 48 million recipients of food assistance; a household of four will see that cut by $36. According to the independent Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, in 2014, benefits will be less than $1.40 per person per meal. More than 80% of households using the subsidy have incomes below the poverty line.
– Retailers are hit, too. Wal-Mart tells analysts that it garners 18% of food stamp outlays, about $14 billion of the $80 billion spent last year. Assuming the cut hits it evenly, the store could lose $1.9 billion in US revenue. Notably, many of Wal-Mart’s employees are on public assistance, including food stamps. But its executives wonder if their low prices will make consumers with a shrinking budget more likely to patronize them over its competitors. Still, Wal-Mart and Target have already lowered their sales forecasts for the all-important holiday season; grocery-chain Kroger is considering price cuts.
– Which could add to weak growth in the fourth quarter. We’re already expecting a slowdown thanks to the government shutdown, and a cut in food stamps—which economists say support an unusually high amount of economic activity for government spending—could add to the burden.
– It’s not the end of the food stamp debate. Conservative lawmakers are still proposing massive cuts to the program, and a compromise on how to treat the program will likely be part of any deal to avoid another US government shut-down in January.
The combination of these factors paint a grim picture for the country, and leave a very real possibility of a riot in the coming weeks.
My Buddy Nick Gillick recently wrote an article on his blog Prepcabin.com and gives some good tips, should a riot or civil unrest happen:
I’m not saying that you should go clear the grocery stores in case there are riots but if you live in a dense urban population you might want to quietly sneak out and grab some extra supplies.
Here are some action items you can take to help ensure your safety against social unrest:
Check the security of your home. Are your windows secured and locking? What about your doors? Do you have a way to secure them if they are compromised? Some large screws and heavy duty plywood can be quickly installed on the inside of your window and door casings in the event they are compromised.
Do you have a minimum of 3 days supplies such as food and water safely hidden in your home? I highly recommend weeks if not months worth of supplies be hidden in your home at all times. Also consider if your personal health supplies are substantial enough to last long enough to get more or to get help.
Do you have a security plan? Are you willing and able to protect yourself and your family? Keep your protective and self-defense tools maintained and ready. Also have them easily accessible for yourself but hidden out of sight.
Do you have a plan to escape if need be? Knowing where to go and how to get there if you can’t stay in your home is vital. Don’t rely on emergency management.
Do you have the proper communication devices to warn you of possible dangerous situations. An emergency radio and FM radio could warn you of approaching or developing riots. If you have a group close by consider radios to communicate between groups. You may need them or they may need you!
These are just some basics to help you determine if you’re ready to survive possible riots breaking out in your area. Take a few minutes and analyze your preparedness and make a plan.
Remember one of the best ways to stay safe is to stay hidden away, keeping a low profile until everything calms down. There may be no riots at all – it’s really hard to predict. But also remember people loose control quickly when they feel they’ve been wronged and think a vital life source taken away from them.
Stay safe and stay tuned to the news in the next few days if you think you’re in a high-risk area for possible riots.
