and the electric bills he paid to run that freezer, at nearly $2,000 each month. and the walk-in freezer he had installed to store surplus product. and the three part-time employees he had hired to unload it. Government money had in effect funded the truckloads of food at Pichardo’s dock. SNAP enrollment in Rhode Island had been rising for six years, up from 73,000 people to nearly 180,000, and now three-quarters of purchases at International Meat Market are paid for with Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. Out came 230 pounds of ground beef and 180 gallons of orange juice. 28, as he watched new merchandise roll off the trucks. “Uncle Sam Day,” Pichardo said now, late on Feb. The 1st is always circled on the office calendar at International Meat Market, where customers refer to the day in the familiar slang of a holiday. The government is forced to support so many people. So many people are forced to rely on government support. View Graphic State residents who receive SNAP A record 47 million Americans receive the benefit - including 13,752 in Woonsocket, one-third of the town’s population, where the first of each month now reveals twin shortcomings of the U.S. Spending on SNAP has doubled in the past four years and tripled in the past decade, surpassing $78 billion last year. Three years into an economic recovery, this is the lasting scar of collapse: a federal program that began as a last resort for a few million hungry people has grown into an economic lifeline for entire towns. Federal money would be electronically transferred to the broke residents of a nearly bankrupt town, where it would flow first into grocery stores and then on to food companies, employees and banks, beginning the monthly cycle that has helped Woonsocket survive. “Tomorrow, we sell it all.”Īt precisely one second after midnight, on March 1, Woonsocket would experience its monthly financial windfall - nearly $2 million from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps. “Today, we fill the store up with everything,” he said. He wiped the front counter and smoothed the edges of a sign posted near his register. For most of the month, his business operated as a humble milk-and-eggs corner store, but now 3,000 pounds of product were scheduled for delivery in the next few hours. In the heart of downtown, Miguel Pichardo, 53, watched three trucks jockey for position at the loading dock of his family-run International Meat Market. The bus company was warning riders to anticipate “heavy traffic.” A community bank, soon to experience a surge in deposits, was rolling a message across its electronic marquee on the night of Feb. Delivery trucks were moving down river roads, and stores were extending their hours. – The economy of Woonsocket was about to stir to life. To schedule an appointment at the HealthSource RI office at 401 Wampanoag Trail in East Providence, click here.WOONSOCKET, R.I. Please follow the steps above to keep yourself and others safe. Please maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing while waiting. Once you arrive for your scheduled appointment time, please wait in the parking lot and call 40 for instructions on entering the building.Due to COVID-19, we are unable to accommodate more than 2 customers in our lobby at a time. Please do not arrive at the Walk-In Center earlier than your confirmed appointment time.Please note that other face coverings ARE NOT ALLOWED. Anyone entering the HealthSource RI Walk-In Center MUST WEAR A FACE MASK.Due to safety regulations and proper social distancing, no more than two people will be allowed per visit (customer and one guest).Once you have scheduled an appointment, we will call you a day before your appointment to conduct a health screening. If you are interested in an in-person appointment, please note the following: We are also available to assist you via phone, and we look forward to helping you. We recommend that you use web chat or self-service options if at all possible. However, when considering whether you would like an in-person appointment, please remember that COVID-19 is spread mainly through person-to-person contact. We have enacted standard preventative measures to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep you safe. If you would prefer in-person assistance, our Walk-In Center is open by appointment only. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, HealthSource RI encourages you to use our live web chat or call our customer contact center. HealthSource RI’s Walk-In Center is located at 401 Wampanoag Trail, East Providence, RI.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |