BALTIMORE, Md. (Oct. 12, 2013)—Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement in response to reports that food stamp and EBT cards are being declined in Baltimore and around the country:

“I am deeply disturbed by incidents of EBT cards being declined here in Baltimore City and around the country. At a time when economic anxiety is already high given the budget shenanigans in Washington, denying access to food for low income families seems particularly cruel. We will be ready to provide any resources we can locally to help families get access to food until this problem is resolved. I encourage residents in need of assistance to utilize Maryland’s 211 service or by dialing 1-800-492-0618.”