Amador County – The Amador County Social Services Department saw an alarming trend mirroring the national economic flux in the early part of the year, last week, with early walk-in customers hinting at surpassing the previous month. “The number of people applying is just going through the roof,” said Amador Social Services Director Matthew Zanze, who added that “something is happening here.” Zanze said December of 2008 had a total of 216 walk-ins, or first-time customers seeking some sort of aid from Social Services. But he said that as of 2:22 p.m. last Thursday, they had 74 walk-ins for the month of January, and it was “only the fourth day of the month.” Walk-ins were seeking applications for food stamps, MediCal or cash assistance. Zanze said many were applying for MediCal because they had lost their job or their employers were no longer offering insurance. “It’s been very busy – something that we haven’t seen,” said Zanze. Data comparing applicants in Amador County the last three years showed that monthly food stamp applicants in Amador number more than 600 cases each month last year, including more than 700 in each of the last four months. Food stamps numbered 605 cases in December 2007, breaking 600 for the first time in a month, but numbered 500 or more cases for all of 2007 except for the month of January, up from around a 450 average in 2006. October of 2008 had the highest number of food stamp applications with 151 applications, topping all single-month applications in the last three years from 2006 to 2008. Applications for cash assistance also rose in the Amador Social Services department last year, over the previous two years. The Amador Social Service office is at 10877 Conductor Boulevard in Sutter Creek. Story by Jim Reece