 |
Order food stamps online
By: Brent Begin
07/02/09 5:32 PM PDT
Mayor Gavin Newsom applied for food stamps on a new city Web site Wednesday. The millionaire mayor was rejected, of course, uh… we hope.
The Web site www.benefitsSF.org is a link to food stamps for San Francisco residents. Officials from the county Human Services Agency hope to provide more social services online in the future. Applicants fill out an online application and sign it without having to stand in line or wait on the phone.
The site provides “confidentiality and confidence” as well, Newsom said, allowing recipients to apply without the “stigma” of food stamps attached. The City has been on the forefront of changing the food stamp process, even providing an electronic card that lets recipients order food at restaurants. This Website was built with a $1 million federal grant.
There’s also a Web cam that allows welfare recipients to interview and see if they are eligible for Medi-Cal and Food Stamps. Newsom demonstrated the process to reporters Thursday by filling out a fake application. When asked if he had any children, Newsom said no, but said that would change in 90 days.
Food stamp recipients spend about $4.4 million every month in The City, according to Human Services Agency head Trent Rhorer.
Follow The Examiner
