SNAP Experience Reflection

Purpose

It is important for social work students to have personal experience with issues that affect low-income clients.

The Food Stamps Program (recently renamed the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP) is one of the most important programs in the U.S. anti-poverty arena and has experienced a tremendous increase in the number of recipients in the last year.

Instructions

For this assignment, you may elect to fulfill one of the following two options:

Option 1 – submit a 5-7 page report on what it was like to live within the budget and rules of the food stamp program for two weeks
OR
Option 2 – submit a 5-7 page report that provides a detailed accounting of your food purchases/expenses for two weeks. The report should examine and compare these purchases in light of food stamp budget allowances and regulations.

Both options are intended to familiarize students with the food stamp program, and to demonstrate your knowledge of program strengths and weaknesses.

Whatever option you choose to pursue, the paper should include the following:

Be clear about which option you have chosen (and why);
Demonstrate an awareness of program history and rules that apply to the food stamps program;
Provide information about what it takes to apply for and receive food stamps;
Describe an appropriate food stamps budget for your household, and defend the appropriateness of the level you have chosen;
Provide an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the program (conceptually and based on your experience) and recommendations to improve the program based on your analysis;
Clearly and accurately document your purchases during the two-week period.
Use APA 6th Edition formatting