Hispanics receiving services on rise

Evan Belanger

For 29 years, John Gibson has provided a public service.

As a state employee, he administers the federal government’s food-stamp program in Morgan County. Established in 1964, the program has fed millions of hungry children and adults, most often in single-parent households.

But in recent years, Gibson has noticed a change in his clientele.

In ever increasing numbers, his office has provided food-stamp benefits to the U.S.-born children of illegal Hispanic immigrants.

While the benefits are prorated according to the number of non-citizens in the household, Gibson said, the influx is taxing his staff, which frequently needs translators.

800 percent increase

Since 2001, the number of non-citizens living in Morgan County food-stamp households has climbed more than 800 percent, from 36 to 289, according government records.

Despite the increase, Gibson said, he is not short of federal funding and his superiors have encouraged him to proceed with outreach programs — an effort to help more qualifying people apply for food stamps.

“It appears, from my point of view, that the funding is never ending,â€