Food-stamp use takes record jump in Washington
A record number of people in Washington state are enrolling in the federally funded food-stamp program, outpacing the national growth rate.
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"It's kind of humbling, for darn sure," Stickler said. "If you're broke, you're broke. You need to eat."
In the past two years, amid one of the worst economies since the Great Depression, the number of people in Washington state receiving food stamps has soared by nearly 60 percent, about twice the national increase.
In October, a record 12.8 percent of the state's population — about 855,000 people — were on food stamps, according to state officials.
More than 3,000 state residents per day are now enrolling in the "Basic Food" program, with no signs of a slowdown, officials say.
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