BAY MINETTE — North Baldwin County residents will have the chance to learn about food-stamp eligibility and application next week during a Supplemental Nutrition Program slated for Friday, April 15.

The meeting will be from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Crossroads Head Start Center at 9411 Hurricane Road in Bay Minette.

Brent Murrill, of the Bay Area Food Bank, said the program gives information about food-stamp eligibility.

“The food-stamps outreach takes the benefits of the DHR (Department of Human Resources) office to those in need,” he said in an interview. “We let them (North Baldwin residents) know about recent changes in requirements.”

Lisa Smith, of the Community Action Agency of Baldwin, Escambia, Clarke, Monroe and Conecuh Counties, agreed that the meeting would benefit potential applicants in and around the Bay Minette area.

“If they attend the meeting and are not on food stamps already, it will inform them of benefits already out there and better prepare them for the interview at the food stamp office,” she said in a telephone interview.

Murrill said he hopes the process will save time and nerves for potential applicants.

“It could take weeks to be told your income is just over the limit,” he said. “This creates angst and anxiety in people — people who’ve been working their whole lives are now unemployed or underemployed. This will get them the help they need.”

He said the meeting should help both residents and the DHR office.

“Budget cuts and restraints have the DHR overworked,” Murrill said. “This should help cut down on applications that have to be denied.”

More people spending food stamps means more stimulation for the economy, he said.

“Food stamps is one of the oldest forms of government spending,” Murrill said. “For every $1 spent, $1.87 is put back into the economy. Also, with EBT the person is not taxed, so it makes them spend more money; there's more bang for your buck.”

Food stamps provide a dual benefit by feeding both participants and businesses, he said.

“For a family that’s struggling, if they don't have money, they can’t stimulate the economy,” Murrill said.

He also pointed out that food stamps are a short-term solution to getting people back on their feet.

“It's not supposed to be a Band-Aid on a broken leg,” Murrill said. “It's supposed to be temporary. Most families that receive SNAP benefits are off within a two-year period. If people don’t have to worry about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads, they can focus brain power on higher thinking.”

He said this process also helps the food banks.

“The more people that aren’t having to rely on food banks helps us to stock pile for emergencies,” Murrill said. “We gave millions of pounds of food during the oil spill. Nobody’s ever looking for disasters to come. But when they do, we are ready, willing and capable to help.”

Begun in October as a replacement for the Food Stamps Program, the SNAP program it is a federally funded program designed to help families eat healthier, according to a news release.