Mom claims Albertsons cashier shamed woman using WIC benefits

[the game]

So this woman didn't have enough money on her food stamp card for her groceries and the cashier gave her shit for being on food stamps. If I was in line I would've helped the lady with her groceries. If you don't like a government program then talk to your congressmen. Don't insult someone trying to support themselves or their families with food.

An Albertsons grocery store cashier allegedly shamed a woman using WIC benefits to buy fruits and vegetables earlier this month.

The incident took place at a store in Gresham, Ore., and was reported on social media by a woman who has since requested to stay anonymous.

In the now-viral Facebook post, the woman alleges her mother was standing behind an African-American woman who was buying fruits and vegetables using WIC assistance – the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children that provides assistance to low-income women who are pregnant or postpartum, and children up to 5 years old

The USDA website states WIC benefits can include infant cereal, fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, canned fish, whole-wheat bread and other whole foods to help meet nutritional needs

According to the Facebook post, the WIC benefit coupons did not cover all of the groceries.

“She was over by $12 on some fruits and vegetables,” the woman said on Facebook. “My mom offered to pay the difference.”

“The cashier said, 'no,' very abruptly, with a rude tone,” she continued in the post.

According to the woman who reported the incident, the cashier, reportedly named Debbie, went on to shame the customer.

“She got her free stuff from WIC already, she doesn’t need anybody else paying her way,” the woman claimed the white cashier said to her mom, referring to the other customer. The woman claimed the cashier went on to say, “Well, that’s what ‘they’ do, they keep on having kids and getting handouts.”

The woman said she was unsure whether the “they” was intended to have a racial connotation or meant to refer to other people who receive WIC benefits.

In a statement to Fox News, the woman said she and her mother would like an apology to be given to the customer who she said left in shame.

“I do know that the victim hung her head in shame and left the store when this occurred, without her fruits and vegetables,” the woman said to Fox News.

“There really needs to be corrective action. My main concern is that this [shaming] occurs everywhere, Albertsons just happened to be the building this time,” she added.

Albertsons provided a statement to KATU apologizing for the incident. “At Albertsons, we have a policy and a culture of treating our customers, and each other, with courtesy, dignity and respect. It’s at the core of who we are as a company and member of this community,” the statement reads. “We sincerely apologize that, in this incident, it appears we did not deliver the customer service that we pride ourselves on.”

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/m...g-enough-money

I used to see homeless people outside of the local walmart. I didn't always have cash to help them but one 2 occasions I bought some sandwiches from Jimmy john's and had the food delivered to them. I figure at least they were getting something to eat.

[kail]

I was used to WIC being used exclusively for baby/infant necessities (like formula and diapers). Didn't know it included basic food as well.

Outside of that, nothing new really. Someone goes out of line and has some axe to grind against those who are unable to support themselves and/or their families.

[Kynreve]

I have no idea why employees do this when they know their employment hangs on one angry email from a disgruntled customer.

I once entered in store to buy a bottle of water. The store had like a...bodyguard? It was an old man. Apparently I didn't follow the correct route upon entering the store? As I went straight for the water fridge, this old man just blocks my path and goes "Where are you going?!" using a tone of voice that may as well would have been "Where the hell do you think you're going?!". "To get a bottle of water", I replied, then he goes "That way" and shows me a path that went around some shelves in order to get to the same spot.

When I got home I wrote an email to the customer service of that store chain regarding the rudeness of the bodyguard, and got a reply with an apology. The 2nd day after, he was gone, replaced by some other...old man.

[Hadriker]

I was used to WIC being used exclusively for baby/infant necessities (like formula and diapers). Didn't know it included basic food as well.

Outside of that, nothing new really. Someone goes out of line and has some axe to grind against those who are unable to support themselves and/or their families.

If i recall it can be used for kids up to around age 5. Used it myself when i was a young parent and still in school. What this cashier did is pretty disgusting. I would have been royally pissed if i saw that happen.

[Hilhen7]

WTF how can you stop someone from paying the difference? None of her business who the money comes from...

[Unholyground]

The smart way to do it is direct deposit into your account like in Canada then no one knows any of your business, why would they still use an archaic system like that? How far behind the rest of the world is the US?

[ellieg]

The smart way to do it is direct deposit into your account like in Canada then no one knows any of your business, why would they still use an archaic system like that? How far behind the rest of the world is the US?

Like just $200 dropped in their account to be used on anything? It's this way so you can only buy certain things for it.

[Unholyground]

Like just $200 dropped in their account to be used on anything? It's this way so you can only buy certain things for it.

That seems anti human in a lot of ways. Employment Insurance and Welfare both get automatically deposited in Canada. There are food banks if you really need food.

[Captain N]

Cashier sounds a lot like a waitress that once refused to let me pay for a couple's dinner after their card was declined.

There's some really shitty people in the world.

[Paraka]

Like just $200 dropped in their account to be used on anything? It's this way so you can only buy certain things for it.

True, but I remember working at Target when I was 16 and this dude abused it. Used to gloat about it, decent job but not too decent and saved that money for a brand new car and just bought food and toys with the system. From what I remember he didnt even live with the baby mama.

Always been a curiosity of how many did this since then.

[ellieg]

That seems anti human in a lot of ways. Employment Insurance and Welfare both get automatically deposited in Canada. There are food banks if you really need food.

It's so you cant to to an atm, cash out the 200 and buy drugs or alcohol with it I believe. That said I personally know people that pay .50c to the $1 to trade wic, ebt, and gift cards into cash.

- - - Updated - - -

True, but I remember working at Target when I was 16 and this dude abused it. Used to gloat about it, decent job but not too decent and saved that money for a brand new car and just bought food and toys with the system. From what I remember he didnt even live with the baby mama.

Always been a curiosity of how many did this since then.

Ya my sister is on it. She makes decent money under the table but because it's not taxed, they believe her income is 0.

[the game]

Like just $200 dropped in their account to be used on anything? It's this way so you can only buy certain things for it.

Don't get me wrong I agree with you and I'm fine with how food stamps work currently in the US. But I've seen people here in ohio who will trade their food stamps for money with people. it's dishonest but it happens.

[ellieg]

Don't get me wrong I agree with you and I'm fine with how food stamps work currently in the US. But I've seen people here in ohio who will trade their food stamps for money with people. it's dishonest but it happens.

Ya I know people that do it. Never said it was too effective but I like to believe that's the purpose of it. Talked abt it in post above.

[The Stormbringer]

Cashier sounds a lot like a waitress that once refused to let me pay for a couple's dinner after their card was declined.

There's some really shitty people in the world.

Hope you asked to speak with the manager. Much like this cashier, that waitress sounds like an asshole.

[Necroxis]

Don't be an asshole when working a customer service job?

I donno whats to discuss.

[gaymer77]

I was used to WIC being used exclusively for baby/infant necessities (like formula and diapers). Didn't know it included basic food as well.

Outside of that, nothing new really. Someone goes out of line and has some axe to grind against those who are unable to support themselves and/or their families.

WIC can be used to buy eggs, juices, milk, veggies, fruit, baby food, formula, bread, pasta, breakfast cereals, rice, tortillas, cheese, yogurt, tofu, soy milk, beans, peanut butter, and canned tuna. What this cashier did was out of line and rude. WIC is there to help mothers who can't fully support their child in order to get food to feed them. The cashier was out of line for making that comment. That cashier was even worse for telling that lady that she couldn't pay the difference for the woman on WIC. It doesn't matter who is paying for it, that bitch's job is to ring up sales, bag the shit, and accept payment from where ever it comes from. Not only is it none of her business where the money comes for paying for the food but that is a LOSS OF BUSINESS for the Albertsons when she told the lady she couldn't pay the extra amount. I would have went over to a manager & told them about it & if I were the manager I would have fired the bitch on the spot.

[Unholyground]

It's so you cant to to an atm, cash out the 200 and buy drugs or alcohol with it I believe. That said I personally know people that pay .50c to the $1 to trade wic, ebt, and gift cards into cash.

I bet you doing it the direct deposit way would save people tons of money in taxes though, that cannot be argued against lol.

[I Push Buttons]

I bet you doing it the direct deposit way would save people tons of money in taxes though, that cannot be argued against lol.

They do direct deposit other forms of welfare. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (commonly just called 'welfare'), social security disability, supplemental security income (disability for people who never worked/paid in). Those are just plain money put in your account and can be spent on anything.

Other things, like SNAP, Section 8 (voucher for housing), etc. aren't given to you as just plain cash because they are meant for one thing in particular. And just giving cash for those programs inevitably means that some people won't use that cash for what it was meant to be used for. If anything giving cash in such cases would require even more oversight/bureaucracy to ensure it was being used properly; where now it requires little oversight because it can literally only be used for one thing.

[Martymark]

So a woman heard a story, about something that someone else saw, that may or may not have happened to a 3rd person?

Sounds like grade-A unverifiable fake news to me.

[Unholyground]

They do direct deposit other forms of welfare. Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (commonly just called 'welfare'), social security disability, supplemental security income (disability for people who never worked/paid in). Those are just plain money put in your account and can be spent on anything.

Other things, like SNAP, Section 8 (voucher for housing), etc. aren't given to you as just plain cash because they are meant for one thing in particular. And just giving cash for those programs inevitably means that some people won't use that cash for what it was meant to be used for. If anything giving cash in such cases would require even more oversight/bureaucracy to ensure it was being used properly; where now it requires little oversight because it can literally only be used for one thing.

We have housing programs too, but that is all taken care of by the departments in charge of it and it is usually just a % rent reduction and you still have to pay the rest. UBI is the way to go to fix a lot of these issues anyhow, getting rid of all these extra programs and shit and implementing UBI would go a lot further. The real thing they should teach people through government assistance is how to budget and not overspend.