The Food Research and Action Center says Seattle joins five other cities at the bottom of the food stamp participation list, with barely half of eligible people receiving food assistance through the federal Food Stamp Program.

The program is called the Basic Food Program in Washington State.

The center's data is based on an indicator that compares persons below 130 percent of the federal poverty level to persons participating in the Food Stamp program in 2004.

Joining Seattle at the bottom of the list are San Diego, Las Vegas, Jacksonville and Los Angeles. Cities at the top of the participation list - with better than 90 percent participation - are Memphis, Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Detroit.

Families who are eligible to receive basic food but do not participate lack significant resources to purchase adequate food. A U.S. Department of Agriculture report recently found that receipt of food assistance reduces the likelihood of household food insecurity and child poverty. Without Basic Food, families must turn more frequently to emergency food programs or go hungry. In addition, leaving food stamp dollars on the table deprives local communities of food buying power: in Seattle this lost buying power totals $54 million annually.

"In addition to families missing out on key food resources, communities suffer when program participation is low," said Linda Stone of the Children's Alliance, a statewide advocacy organization. "Think of Basic Food as a counter-recessionary program - when the community's economy suffers, increased food stamp participation helps grocers, farmers and the community."

The action center report does not provide information on the reasons for low participation in Seattle, but local advocates and outreach workers offered several possible explanations: continued confusion about Basic Food eligibility, misinformation about the program that discourages applying, language barriers, and the continuing stigma of receiving food stamps. Some families see the complex application and simply give up.

"Eligible families should not be missing out on Basic Food benefits," Stone said. "We know that there are barriers like misinformation and language, but much has been done to make the program work better for everyone, including working families."

Washington State has taken steps in the last several years to make receipt of Basic Food easier. These include simplified reporting of income and other changes once a family has been made eligible, changes in vehicle ownership rules that allow families to own operable cars and still receive assistance, and expanded use of telephone interviews instead of face-to-face office visits.