It’s been the County’s job to make sure residents who need food stamps, or FoodShare as it’s called these days, get them. But this week, the State announced plans to take over the job, along with administering child care and medical assistance programs. The State’s move comes after months of criticism of Milwaukee County’s performance.
WUWM’s Susan Bence recently visited a south side food pantry to try to learn what the experience of applying for food stamps might be like.
Twice a month a mobile van pulls up in front of South Milwaukee Human Concerns. The van is one way Milwaukee County came up with to try to make the food stamp application process more accessible. So far, it hasn’t helped Stephanie Serbin.
“I've been trying to get FoodShare for about year,” Serbin says.
Serbin calculates in her head. Actually the process started more like a year and a half ago.
“They sent me paperwork saying I had to turn some stuff back in,” Serbin says.
Her boss helped her fill out the application.
“We faxed it back to them. I’ve never received anything,” Serbin says.
Months later she finally got a follow-up appointment on the eligibility van.
“I explained to the lady what happened. She said she remembered me. she looked it up on the computer and seen that I was still in there as active and I’m not receiving any FoodShare, no health care, anything,” Serbin says.
Serbin is trying to get a hearing to review her situation. That process requires more paperwork. Serbin says she sent that in a few months ago.
“Stating what happened and what I did, and I haven’t heard anything from them,” Serbin says.
Serbin’s been waiting for word from the Milwaukee County’s Department of Health and Human Services to let her know where she stands in the application process. Serbin seems bewildered about her situation.
“I did hear that there’s not enough workers, but they shouldn’t punish us for lack of employees from their end,” Serbin says.
Serbin has two teenage kids at home and works full-time.
“They’re both in school,” I ask.
“Yeah, doing good,” Serbin says.
Serbin says she wants them to keep doing well, so sometimes she doesn’t eat.
“And I don’t mean just one day, I mean like maybe five days where I make sure that my kids eat but I don’t have to,” Serbin says.
“So what does that do to you, are you just exhausted or no energy,” I ask.
“Actually yeah, I don’t have energy, I notice my work performance really isn’t that good. And then your health. You’re just not feeling right if you’re not eating right,” Serbin says.
After Serbin picks up her monthly emergency food supply here at the pantry, she says she’ll stretch the canned soup and powdered milk as far as she can.
Kris Schell runs South Milwaukee Human Concerns. She says more and more people have been coming in to the pantry with stories like Serbin’s. Schell calls them horror stories.
“Some woman was in here crying because her food stamps had been cut. She was using her rent money for food, so now she was worrying about being evicted. It’s playing with people’s lives and they really need to get the system straightened out,” Schell says.
I checked back with Kris Schell since my visit in January. She says Stephanie Serbin still isn’t receiving food stamps.
Schell’s hoping the system will improve now that the state is taking over, but hopes the mobile unit program isn’t scraped in the process. She says, even though there’s always a long waiting list when the van visits her site, it’s a step in the right direction.
County Board Chair Lee Holloway calls the state’s plan to take over the delivery of social services in Milwaukee a knee-jerk reaction and says it will not guarantee people will be better served. Holloway thinks the County should just revamp the management of those programs.
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