HARTFORD, Conn. -- The number of Connecticut residents who rely on food stamp rose by 30 percent this year.

Officials said Waterbury and Hartford have the highest amount of residents who use food stamps, but towns in Litchfield County are reporting an increase as well.

On Monday, the nonprofit group "End Hunger CT!" had back-to-back appointments of people who need help applying for food stamps for the first time.

Monica Josefides found herself raising her 11-month-old baby on her own, living off of $300 a month.

Josefides said, "I am living in the shelter right now. I'm looking for more jobs and I really need help."

Executive Director Lucy Nolan said in the decade she has been working there, it is the busiest year she has ever seen.

Nolan said, "We are seeing people who thought they'd never ever be on food stamps. We had one family who both parents had master's degrees. They both got laid off. They had two little kids. They didn't know where their next meal was going to come from."

The good news -- more people are now eligible for the program because the state relaxed income guidelines during the summer.

To see if you're eligible for food stamps, you can contact End Hunger CT! by dialing 1-866-974-SNAP(7627). You can also check out the End Hunger CT! Web site.