Why is the YWCA encouraging women to sign up for food stamps?

The Food Stamp program in America has grown from 17 million participants in 2000 to over 46 million (and growing) in 2012. How did this happen? How did we reach a point where 1 in every 7 Americans is receiving food stamps from the government? Perhaps this photo offers a clue.

On Tuesday, syndicated radio host and regular Glenn Beck fill-in, Joe Pags posted this photo sent by one of his legion of fans. Like many of you.... my brain screamed - "Elinating racism and empowering women with Food Stamps, Medicaid & Medicare?"  While I wholeheartedly support the elimination of racism and empowering of women, I have questions about the intent behind  YWCA's push to get women on food stamps.

What does a dependence on government have to do with empowerment? Those two concepts couldn't be more diametrically opposed. And yet, the YWCA is pushing for the empowerment of women by encouraging them to sign up for food stamps, medicare, and medicaid.

Perhaps this is just a Texas thing?

Maybe just one location (of the YWCA's 1300 outlets in America) in an economically troubled area is reaching to to local women? Scanning YWCA websites in other cities, this appears to be a national program that the YWCA is pushing. The Chicago YWCA's website has a fairly entrenched program promoting enrollment in SNAP/Food Stamps:

Food Stamps, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a government program that gives households money to buy food.

The page includes brief information explaining the benefits, how you can apply, and  it also has a calculator to find out just how much food stamp support you might receive.

A very quick search of the websites from YWCA outlets in Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco did not turn up similar programs, but that does not mean they are not out there.

Please look for these programs in your area and report back to us.