Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, April 15, 1991                   TAG: 9104150298
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-5   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STATE GOT MILLIONS IN FOOD AID/ PROGRAMS HELPED CHILDREN, ELDERLY

In addition, Virginia received $35.5 million to defray operating expenses for the programs, according to figures released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The largest amount - $246.6 million - was spent on the food stamp program, which helps 345,874 Virginians each month.

Through the school lunch program, 581,837 Virginia children were served daily meals at a cost of $59 million. Also, 84,311 children received breakfast daily at a cost of $10.4 million.

State child nutrition programs and institutions received $15.5 million in USDA commodities, such as milk and cheese. The Agriculture Department also added to the state's economy by buying more than $7 million of the commodities for these programs from Virginia businesses. Another $4.1 million in commodities went to the emergency food assistance program.

Nationwide, about one of every six Americans received food assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture at a cost of almost $24.7 billion.

Through the food distribution program, commodities are channeled to child nutrition programs and charities and to needy households through the emergency food assistance program.

A summer food service program, designed to continue the benefits of the school food program, fed 24,810 children daily last year at a cost of $2 million.

About 20,930 people received daily meals and snacks at child and adult day-care centers and family day-care homes at a cost of $11.8 million.

Another $1.8 million was spent on nutrition programs for the elderly. The number of people served was not available.