Gregoire gives $200K to food banks, expands food-stamp eligibility

Gov. Christine Gregoire announced today that she is immediately allocating $200,000 from her emergency fund to help food banks around the state pay for gasoline.

Fuel costs have put an increased strain on food banks' resources, said Shelley Rotondo, executive director of Northwest Harvest, a statewide hunger-relief organization.

Trucking food from California to Washington food banks cost $1,200 per trip a few months ago, Rotondo said. The same trip cost $3,800 a few days ago.

"I'm very troubled by the fact that people can no longer afford to get the food to the food bank," Gregoire said.

"We don't lack volunteers, we lack the resources to get something done."

Food banks are also being stretched by higher demand. In an effort to reach consumers, Gregoire announced the state will alter qualifications for food stamps, starting in October, that will allow more people to qualify. To be eligible for food stamps, families making up to 200 percent below the poverty line, which equates to an annual income of $42,000 for a family of four, will qualify for stamps. The current cutoff is 130 percent, or $27,000 for a family of four.

Gregoire said she estimated the program will serve an additional 23,000 people.

Washington also will receive $2 million from the federal government as a bonus to recognize its management of the food stamp program. That money should arrive in the fall and will go back into the program, said a spokeswoman for the governor.

Gregoire also announced her office launched a Web site to locate food banks statewide: www.governor.wa.gov/feedingwashington.asp.