by Marsha Moore

Created on: September 04, 2008

Being a disabled single parent living (existing) on food stamps has dealt me and countless others who rely on this federal program as being stigmatized for using a plastic card to buy food.

It has been my observation that a large proportion of society attaches a stigma to anyone who uses the food stamp program. I've been involuntarily classified by society as lazy, uneducated, a drug addict, and yes, even a scam artist. There are several problems with this classification. Before I became disabled, I gained a college education, I worked 50+ hours a week, and the only thing I was addicted to was countless cans or bottles of Pepsi cola.

My disability came on suddenly, and without warning. I went from having several thousand dollars in my bank account to nothing in a matter of months. My designer career wear disappeared and was replaced with donated clothes from local charities. I felt an inch tall if not smaller when I had to go to the welfare office and apply for food stamps. While I was prepared for the seemingly endless piles of paperwork and questioning, was I was not prepared for was I was about to get so scrutinized by society, that it almost made me want to cut up my card and never enter a grocery store ever again.

I think we as a society have gotten comfortable in creating our own scenarios of how a person is to look and act based on what a person observes about another. For instance, several years ago I was in a grocery store, and I oftentimes buy in bulk. My disability limits me on how often I can get from one place to another on a regular basis. As I set my items out on the checkout counter, the cashier said with a disgusted sigh, "Nobody needs this much ground beef! Food Stamps should not be allowing you to buy this much!" I ignored her that day, but the next time I ended up in her line again (unfortunate for me) and I overheard her say to the young lady bagging up my groceries "These people floor me with their food stamps! It must be nice!" Needless to say I reported her to the manager, but nothing much was done other than an apology and a $5 gift certificate for my frustration.

Now, the stigma that had been attached to me went far beyond a few disgruntled cashiers. People in the line behind me let it be known that they despised the fact that I used food stamps. Several of our local grocery stores use large screens at the checkout lane that pretty much advertises how a person paid for their food. I've been confronted in line and in the parking lot because

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