By ABC-7 Reporter/Anchor Ken Molestina

EL PASO, Texas -- The weakening economy has needy families across Texas looking for new ways to make ends meet. State officials said in El Paso, people are turning to food stamps.

They say food is fuel for the soul and body, and during these rough times, food stamps are ensuring thousands of El Pasoans are keeping their tanks full.

"When you lose your job you think it's the end of the world," said Angel Reyna. Reyna said he lost his job as a truck driver when gas prices went up, and as a result was left with nothing. Now he needs help.

Supermarkets are constantly filled with customers. The owners of one store in Downtown El Paso said 50 percent of their clients are on the Lone Star program.

The Lone Star program is giving those who qualify an average of about $250 a month for groceries, and according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, El Pasoans are taking full advantage of it.

"We also saw some federal changes in October that mean that some families that may not have qualified before now do qualify. They also raised the amount of food stamps you can get," said a spokeswoman with the commission.

The commission reports the cash assistance portion of welfare is down in the Sun City about 13 percent while food stamps are up 16 percent.

They said the food stamps may be more attractive, because unlike the cash assistance program, the stamps are easier to qualify for.

With children and a fiance to feed, Reyna said the food stamps program was very appealing and that, along with his new job at the West Texas Food Bank, is what put him back on his feet.

"You use it when your down, and you start putting back in the system when your up," he said.

State officials said the trend in El Paso mirrors that of other major cities in Texas. They said it is something they have noticed within the last decade.