The state's Department of Human Resources was officially awarded $1.4 million Friday from the federal government for increasing by 44 percent the number of people receiving food stamps. Maryland enrolled more participants for food stamps than any other state for the one-year period ending in September 2008, and has more than 527,000 people receiving the federal benefits. Human Resources Secretary Brenda Donald credited the increase to targeted outreach effort by the department's workers, including a focus on the elderly and the homeless who were eligible but not receiving assistance. The award comes a week after a Baltimore Circuit Court judge ruled that the state had failed to deliver food stamps and medical benefits in a timely manner to thousands of Marylanders and ordered the department to come within compliance of federal guidelines that require applicants to receive assistance within 30 days. U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin W. Concannon presented the award at a ceremony in West Baltimore and said that, "We know Maryland is under pressure to be timely. It's important to us, it's important to the local economy. So we want to help them and all states."

- Brent Jones