Twelve percent of Knox County residents receive Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance, Carla Poland, the public assistance administrator for the Knox County Department of Job and Family Services, informed the Board of Commissioners on March 20.
According to a YouTube recording of the meeting, Poland said that 2,782 households received food assistance in 2024, encompassing 5,264 individuals. Approximately $11 million in SNAP benefits are issued annually in Knox County. This amounts to an average of $2,890 per individual each year. The county recovers approximately $1,600 monthly from SNAP benefits due to overpayments. These funds are recouped as residents experience decreased food stamps.
Poland further mentioned that Knox County schools participate in a free lunch program accompanied by a summer electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card. This initiative ensures that school-age children who receive free lunches during the school year continue to receive food assistance throughout the summer months.
Additionally, Poland noted that 12,075 Knox County residents were enrolled in Medicaid, representing 19.25% of the population. Across Ohio, just over 3 million people are enrolled in Medicaid.
Poland also highlighted a back-to-school program run by the Department of Job and Family Services in partnership with Interchurch Social Services. This program provides school supplies, clothing, shoes, and hygiene products to eligible children in Knox County. Funding is sourced from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), with approximately $220,000 spent to assist 1,425 children this school year. She expressed hope for increased funding for this initiative.
"In the very beginning the first time you'd walk into Walmart and you'd see these kids they were all excited because they were getting new clothing or new shoes for school. And you could tell that... they wouldn't get any school clothes or new shoes if it wasn't for those vouchers," Poland said.
