THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 11, 1995 TAG: 9502110083
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE WATSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
The McDonald's 95-cent double cheeseburger isn't a deal if you don't have the cash. So two local restaurants are allowing homeless families to pay with food stamps.
With their specially labeled food stamp cards, homeless families can visit the Mickey D's on London Boulevard in Portsmouth or on Campostella Road in Norfolk and receive discounts on regularly priced items. As with other purchases with food stamps, sales taxes don't apply.
``I had had situations from time to time where people were coming by and scrounging around looking for food,'' said Roger Brown, a former pro football star with the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams who owns the two restaurants.
``I didn't know if they were homeless, but I knew they should have the opportunity to have hot food.''
Any restaurant - health-food, fast-food - can participate, but Brown is the first owner in Virginia to take part since the program became effective for the homeless in 1992.
``A number have expressed interest, but no one has followed up,'' said Burt Richmond, food stamp program manager with the Virginia Department of Social Services.
``I'm not a businessman, but I guess at some point you have to consider the extra work involved and that you have to offer some discount to encourage people to use the food stamps. And it is limited to homeless households, not to just anyone who gets food stamps.''
The program hopes to aid this special group of people who often live from meal to meal because they have no place to store food or prepare hot meals. The idea of restaurants accepting food stamps as payment isn't new - some restaurants across the country have been accepting food stamps from the elderly and the disabled since 1974.
But according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which manages the food stamp program, the latest tally shows that only 170 restaurants nationwide accept food stamps.
To participate in the program, restaurant owners must sign a contract with the state Department of Social Services to offer meals at a reduced price. The Agriculture Department then reviews the contract and authorizes the businesses to accept food stamps.
Restaurants that serve only high-cost meals and refuse to give discounts are ineligible.
The restaurants, unlike nonprofit providers of meals for the homeless, can give up to 99 cents change in food stamp transactions.
Brown applied for the program in July and was ready to participate Jan. 1. His restaurants offer a 10 percent discount on regularly priced items - value meals and specials won't be reduced.
Homeless families have been notified of the offer through posters and notices at food stamp centers.
Brown says his Norfolk restaurant has had several takers, while his Portsmouth store has yet to get a single food stamp customer. The six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle expects the turnout to pick up soon, and he doesn't think other customers will complain as more homeless people come in to use their food stamps.
``There's a difference between a homeless family and someone who's strung out on drugs and alcohol. There are families and kids that need help,'' Brown said.
``I don't want to penalize some group of people because someone has set a precedent. We can manage it.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color drawing
KEYWORDS: FOOD STAMPS CHAIN RESTAURANT by CNB