By Friends of Little Saigon
For Northwest Asian Weekly
The Chinatown/International District is taking back their neighborhood and educating the community about the impacts of food stamp fraud.
As a vibrant commercial district it is not without any urban social issues – drug dealing, burglary, etc. Neighborhood business leaders and organizers work tirelessly to address safety issues at hand, specifically identifying Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) formerly known as food stamp fraud as one of the main sources of all these safety concerns.
There exists a perception that food stamp fraud is a victimless crime. Yet, what people may not realize is that food stamp fraud attracts other forms of public safety concerns, and garners negative attention to the community. Little Saigon, Chinatown, and Japantown businesses and community activists are banding together to take action against the growing number of food stamp fraud cases in their neighborhood.
Members of the taskforce include neighborhood business leaders, the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority, Friends of Little Saigon and many other organizations. The goal of the taskforce is to educate the community through a campaign around food stamp fraud.
Recognizing that food stamp fraud is not an issue unique to this neighborhood and exists citywide, the informational graphic produced by the taskforce will help extend this information to a broader audience – local businesses, patrons, and visitors.
The uniqueness of this campaign goes beyond its multi-lingual approach; it is a great example of a grass roots effort driven by individual members of the community wanting to cultivate a sense of ownership in their neighborhood.
The info graphic illustrates four basic ways to detect food stamp fraud. You can help prevent crime by visiting www.friendsoflittlesaigon.org and educate your neighbors about fraud and crime prevention for a safe and healthy neighborhood. Together let’s stamp out fraud! (end)