The Great Recession Bread Lines Are There, Part 2

The August numbers for food assistance programs are in and they are not pretty.

Food stamp recipients ticked up in August, children consumed millions of free lunches and nearly five million low-income mothers tapped into a government nutrition program for women and young children.

Some 42,389,619 Americans received food stamps in August, a 17% rise from the same time a year ago, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which tracks the data. That number is up 58.5% from August 2007, before the recession began.

By population, Washington, D.C. had the largest share of residents receiving food stamps: More than a fifth, 21.1%, of its residents collected assistance in August. Washington was followed by Mississippi, where 20.1% of residents received food stamps, and Tennessee, where 20% tapped into the government nutrition program.

Idaho posted the largest jump in recipients in the past year. The number of people receiving food stamps climbed 38.8% but their rolls are still fairly low. Just 211,883 Idaho residents collected food stamps in August.

The average benefit size per person nationwide in August was $133.90. Per household it was $287.82.

Up more than 50% since three years ago, and it's only going to get worse.  Here in Kentucky some 18.7% of the state received some food assistance in August, 14.5% of Ohioans, and 13.3% of Indiana residents.  Times are tough, and two years of guaranteed nothing out of the House to help will only make things that much more dire.

Basic commodity prices have increased, so this is only going to become harder and harder for folks as we wind through this economic disaster.  2011 is not going to be pretty.