Story Created:
Aug 6, 2009 at 3:45 PM CST
Story Updated:
Aug 6, 2009 at 5:17 PM CST
Affects from the economy are hitting the working poor harder than ever. Oklahoma now has more than half a million people who receive food stamps. The most in history according to the Department of Human Services. A little more than 14% of adults are using the government aid, while almost 25% of Oklahoma children are on food stamps. DHS says people are finally feeling the affects of the poor economy, and lost jobs. About 750 new people in the state are getting money from the program, every day.
Dr. Howard Hendrick, the Director of OKDHS said, "I'm glad to have the short term help from the government, but in the long run we're going to have to earn our way out of this problem. That means healthier families, that means better jobs, that means more education, that means all those things necessary to create healthier families."
DHS says the working poor are also moving to the state because there's more opportunities for jobs than surrounding areas.
