Food Basket welcomes SNAP outreach specialists

The Food Basket recently welcomed Katherine Bumatay and Duane Pajimola to the nonprofit’s new SNAP outreach program.

Bumatay is the SNAP outreach specialist working in East Hawaii and Pajimola covers West Hawaii.

SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is the food stamp program. Participating households receive money each month on a debit card that can be used for food.

The Food Basket’s SNAP outreach team works in communities islandwide, helping residents with a benefits eligibility assessment and also with the completion of the SNAP application. Households can qualify for SNAP based on their monthly income. The application process includes a paper application and a phone or in-person interview.

Despite SNAP’s potential as a supplement to food budgets for families struggling to make ends meet, nearly a quarter of Hawaii Island residents who potentially qualify don’t claim their benefits. This might be the result of a variety of factors including lack of time and transportation, limited English proficiency, physical and cognitive impairments and stigma about requesting help.

The Food Basket’s SNAP outreach team is working to alleviate these barriers and are meeting people where they gather — at food pantries, congregate meal sites, shelters and school and community events.

“SNAP is a powerful resource in the fight against hunger and has the potential to feed more families in Hawaii than all other food programs combined,” says Kristin Frost Albrecht, the Food Basket’s SNAP outreach director. “In 2014 alone, SNAP brought more than $525 million of food assistance benefits into Hawaii — stretching client’s food budgets, reinforcing the charitable food system and strengthening the local economy.

“We encourage anyone who thinks they may qualify to contact us,” Albrecht said.

For more information about the SNAP program, contact the Food Basket at info@hawaiifoodbasket.org, 933-6030 or visit www.hawaiifoodbasket.org.