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Scott True, of Fairfield, a volunteer at Operation Hope Food Pantry picks out items of food to give to clients of the pantry on Thursday, April 02, 2009 in Fairfield, Conn.
ECONOMIC SURVIVAL GUIDE
In these tough economic times, we offer readers a survival guide, in the form of brief artciles to help them cope.
OVERVIEW Not all tips are helpful
JOB LOSS Unemployment benefits
MEDICATION How to get prescription help
COBRA Getting on COBRA
HEATING AID Help with heat
MORTGAGE HELP Ways to stay in your home
FOOD Food services: Do you qualify?
UTILITIES Help with utility bills
TRANSPORTATION Bus, train info
CLOTHING Good clothing for e few dollars
When you've relied on soup kitchens, food banks and food stamps and the like for years, you have a pretty good idea of how to access them.

But in today's world not all in need are veteran users of food assistance programs. "At this point in time, there are a lot of people needing help for the first time in their lives, and they might not know how to go about it," said Nancy Carrington, executive director of the Connecticut Food Bank, which distributes food to 650 food assistance programs in six of Connecticut's eight counties.

It doesn't help that the food assistance system can be difficult to negotiate. The Food Bank's member organizations, which include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and day-care facilities, all have different standards for who can receive assistance. The state's Food Stamp service (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) also can be tough to navigate, even though it has uniform eligibility standards.

According to the Connecticut Association for Human Services, 200,000 people in the state are receiving food stamps, but tens of thousands more in the state are eligible; they just aren't taking advantage of the program.

If you're in need of food help and want to know if you qualify for assistance, here are some places to go for help.

Are you eligible for Food Stamps? A quick way to find out if you qualify for SNAP is to visit www.ctfoodstamps.org, a program of the nonprofit End Hunger

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Connecticut. The site has a test you can take to determine your eligibility. Or call a member of the outreach staff at the Connecticut Association for Human Services. They can provide information and pre-screen you for eligibility. To reach the Food Stamp Outreach Director, call (860) 951-2212, ext. 236.

Are you eligible for other food services? The easiest way to determine if you qualify for a food bank, shelter or other food service is to call Connecticut's Infoline at 211 or the Connecticut Food Bank at 469-5000. Find out what food assistance services are available in your community, and which ones utilize case managers who can help you determine what assistance you may qualify for. Then call the program to find out what they require for assistance.

AMANDA CUDA