By Arianne Aryanpur
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 16, 2006; PW10
Mary Jane Blaine chose a round table in the center of the room, spread out her brochures on food stamps and waited for inquiries from the elderly residents at Madison House Apartments in Leesburg.
An hour later, a few seniors had walked by her table. Some probably qualified for food stamps but were too proud or too uncomfortable to ask about the program, Blaine said.
"It's kind of hard to come in cold turkey," said Blaine, who has been visiting senior housing centers, health clinics and food banks in Loudoun for the past few months trying to sign people up for the federal benefit. "It takes time."
Blaine works for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network, which covers Loudoun, Fauquier and 23 other counties stretching roughly from Winchester to Lynchburg.
Last year, the organization's leaders decided that boosting participation in the food stamp program was part of their mission to fight hunger. It's a more proactive strategy than the traditional approach of serving people who visit food pantries, said Marty White, the network's chief executive.
"If we can get people into programs that are existing in the first place, it empowers them," said White, whose organization was recognized at a national conference this summer for launching the initiative. "Instead of standing in line for food, they can go to the grocery store. The money comes into Virginia, and the grocery stores benefit."
White's group recently partnered with the Virginia Department of Social Services to sign up people who are eligible for food stamps, and Blaine is one of several workers who have visited places where potential recipients are likely to be found. The Central Virginia Food Bank in Richmond has started the program, and organizers hope to get Virginia's five other food banks on board by next year.
To qualify for food stamps, residents must live at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty line. Using Census Bureau data on incomes, the Federation of Virginia Food Banks concluded that only 56 percent of Virginia residents who qualify for food stamps are enrolled. The rate is even lower in Loudoun, where about 8,300 people were eligible for food stamps last year but only 3,300 received them, according to the federation's figures.
Food bank officials said there are many reasons for the gap. Some people don't know about the program or are daunted by the 14-page application. Others are just too proud.
Whatever the reason, underuse of the program creates a strain for food pantries, officials said.
The Blue Ridge Area Food Bank Network feeds 20,000 people a year with help from the Salvation Army, churches and nonprofit groups, White said. Even in Loudoun, where the median annual household income exceeds $98,000 a year, the network last year fed about 4,000 people living below the poverty line.
"While unemployment may be low, incomes haven't increased along with the cost of living," White said. "We realize that as food pantries, we can't keep up with the demand because our supply is staying flat."
Blaine, who is responsible for signing up food stamp recipients in seven counties including Loudoun and Fauquier, uses brochures and posters for assistance. Even with props, she often encounters reluctance at senior housing centers such as Madison House Apartments.
"I think it's a generational difference. My generation wanted to be independent and take care of ourselves," said Blaine, 62.
Food bank officials said that some seniors mistakenly believe that by accepting food or signing up for stamps, they would be taking food away from children and families.
"It's unfortunate, because if they did get help, they could free up money for medical bills and other things," Blaine said.
Elsie Trammel, 80, a resident of Madison House, has no qualms about accepting food stamps. She has done so since the days when she was raising six children and worked two or three jobs to make ends meet, she said. Now, knee problems prevent her from visiting the grocery store, so she takes advantage of programs that deliver food.
"It don't bother me as long as I get the groceries," Trammel said. "I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth."
Becky Russell, 62, and her husband, Buck, 74, also Madison House residents, are retired carnival workers who have received food stamps for eight years. Russell said she understands why some would feel uncomfortable asking for help.
But she said Blaine does a good job of putting people at ease.
"She doesn't make you feel like a different person," Russell said. "She makes you feel like you can talk to her about things."
And that is Blaine's hope. "My job is more or less to make them feel comfortable," she said. "I tell them, 'You worked for it and earned it.' They deserve to improve their health and their lifestyle."
Once people warm to the idea, she sets up appointments. Then, in a private room, she answers questions and helps them fill out the applications.
Blaine estimates that she has signed up 20 people since June, half of them in Loudoun. With help from volunteers, she hopes to reach others.
"My goal is to reach anyone who's insecure about where their next meal is coming from," she said.
