Advocates Draw The Contrast Between Hunger And Plenty Outside Whole Foods
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--An anti-hunger group chose a novel way to call attention to cuts in food stamp benefits. They leafleted lunchtime shoppers at a high-end grocery store in the city's Fairmount section.
Peggy is pretty sure that Whole Foods shoppers don't intersect much with food stamp shoppers.
"It was told to me that if I had to ask how much something cost, I can't afford it, so I don't even go to Whole Foods."
But she was there at lunchtime, helping hold a large banner reading, "We are hungry."
Peggy has no beef with Whole Foods, or its shoppers. She and her fellow advocates just thought it would be instructive for them to know food stamps were cut across the board this month for the first time in the program's history.
Her benefits went from $189 a month to $178, putting the kind of food inside the store even further out of reach.
"It probably would be better for me. I simply can't afford it but God bless those who can."
The group distributed flyers asking shoppers to call their Congressman to prevent further food stamp cuts that are under consideration.
