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Friday August 22, 1997

We must feed the hungry

For more than a year now, Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union have lived in deep dread.

Anxious and panic-stricken, they have waited for the welfare reform ax to fall, cutting such vital benefits as Supplemental Security Income, Medi-Cal, federally funded care for the medically indigent and food stamps.

As it turns out, last minute changes in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act spared many legal immigrants from losing all their benefits.

The changes stem, in large part, from major lobbying efforts by Jewish social service agencies and other nonprofit groups that converged on Washington, D.C., to express concern about the immigrants' future.

However, beginning today, the first anniversary of welfare reform, many legal immigrants -- including several hundred in the Bay Area -- will no longer be eligible to receive food stamps.

That loss, certainly, is less dire than originally expected. But it is still a significant loss -- particularly for those immigrants who live on meager monthly budgets of less than $500.

For them, food stamps mean the difference between healthful eating and deprivation. Without the assistance, those newcomers may face malnutrition. At the very least, they will have to cut down on the few extras they have.

Though the extent of the damage is not yet clear, the Jewish community must be prepared to step in on their behalf, helping to fund such alternatives as food vouchers. These can be traded for groceries at supermarkets.

Perhaps synagogues and other organizations will come up with other creative solutions, such as preparing and delivering hot, nutritious meals to those who are losing their benefits.

Sometimes, in the rush of our daily lives, it's easy to forget there are hungry people in our community. It's a reality we cannot ignore.

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