Food Assistance Programs: What Does it get you?

According to Census data (2013), 17.5% of San Joaquin County (SJC) residents are classified as living below the federal poverty line, which is comparably higher than the state average of 15.3%. In two of the most impacted census tracts (1 & 4.02) in Stockton, this figure climbs to 49%. Public Health data demonstrates that the residents of these census tracts are at higher risk of various negative health outcomes, such as diabetes, heart disease, and morbid obesity. Federal support is provided to the community in the form of various welfare programs. Two of the most common, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Women, Infant, and Children Program (WIC), were introduced to safeguard the health of individuals who are at risk of food insecurities. Yet, several barriers can hinder the residents\u27 ability to use these programs to obtain a nutritional diet, including the neighborhood built environment, availability of products in stores, and accessibility of the products through the use of SNAP and WIC. Drawing on in-store data provided by the Project YES! collaborative and literary reviews, we illuminate the benefits and flaws that the food assistance programs and environmental factors present. We seek to inform key SJC stakeholders of these concerns to help inspire change through the provision of more effective food assistance programs in these neighborhoods