By Alabama Public Radio
Montgomery, AL – The number of Alabama families receiving food stamps has gone up. The U-S Department of Agriculture estimates that 56 percent of eligible Alabamians received food stamps in 2003. The State Department of Human Resources offered one-time food stamp enrollment to hurricane victims in 2004 and 2005. More than 55-thousand households signed up after each storm. Still, state officials say they don't know exactly why the numbers are going up during a strong economy. Joyce O'Neal, state director of the food stamps program, says enrollment usually rises during economic slumps.