Over the decades the times have really changed. American families have become smaller with a single

The modern program was established as part of the War on Poverty in the 1960s but has undergone mass changed since then (Edin, 2014). One being that the government gives out electronic debit cards, rather than stamps, for buying food. Since 2008, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program has become the largest food assistance program in the U.S. It serves greater than 45 million people in the U.S and is a critical safety net program for health and nutrition in the U.S (The History of SNAP, para.

Food stamps are an important component of low-income families’ monthly resources, increasing the chances that families are able to meet basic needs (Ratcliffe, McKernan & Finegold, 2008). This form of food relief dates back to the Great Depression when many Americans lost their jobs and did not have money to feed their families. People were starving while farmers produced abundant crop that could not be sold due to a lack of consumers with buying power (Dorsch, 2013). The Federal Surplus Relief Corporation which was a part of the Agricultural Adjustment Act, bought basic farm goods at low prices and distributed the among hunger relief agencies in different states and local communities (Congressional Digest, 2013).

Food Stamp is a government-funded program in the United States. This is a program that helps people buy food for their families; in other words, it is a very important program to families living in poverty. It is the nation’s most important program in the fight against hunger. This program was developed in the 1960’s; it is made to improve the nutrition level and food purchasing power of people with low-income. This program is offered to people who cannot afford to buy groceries for their families, regardless of age, color, sex or religion. Food Stamps can only be used to buy food items not hygiene or household items, and it’s offered only on a monthly basis.

SNAP is the foundation of nutrition assistance programs. This program provides over 47 million individuals in nearly 23 million low-income households. The eligibility is not restricted to certain groups of individuals, and because of this, SNAP serves a vast amount of families with children, elderly people, and individuals with disabilities. Others eligible for SNAP include families with adults who work in low-wage jobs, unemployed workers, and those with a fixed income. The SNAP Program assists about 72 percent of people who live in households with children. Nearly 25 percent of households with seniors and individuals with disabilities, are also assisted (Rosenbaum, 2013).

Did you know that 17% of Americans in rural areas live below the poverty line, and out of those 17%, 15 million of those individuals are children? (Hunger In America 2014). The month of September was Hunger Action month and many individuals helped raise awareness by taking the Food Stamp (SNAP) Challenge. This challenge consists of an individual living on the SNAP balance of a $6-7 per day budget for food. Many individuals came to the realization that this is a difficult budget, and does not meet the nutritional needs for a family.

Throughout my research, I have gathered a lot of useful information about food stamps, also known as Common Benefit Identification Card (CBIC) (New). Food stamps are a valuable resource for many lower class families and less fortunate individuals. It is the nation's highest anti-hunger program and helps many people. According to fns.usda.gov, “Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) is an electronic system that allows a recipient to authorize transfer of their government benefits from a Federal account to a retailer account to pay for products received. EBT is used in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. EBT has been implemented in all States since June of

Administered by the USDA, the goal of the program is to alleviate hunger and malnutrition for low-income families, adults and seniors. The program is considered one of the largest and most successful solutions in decreasing food insecurity among senior Americans. The USDA pays 100% of all SNAP/Food Stamp benefits to the states that share the administration cost with the federal government. Congress reauthorizes the SNAP program every five years as part of the Farm Bill, the reauthorization determines who is eligible and addresses benefit levels and program accessibility (Fox, Hamilton, & Lin, 2011, p. 30-33). The USDA has implemented a program to create incentive for low-income seniors to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables using food stamp. The USDA and other state agencies, businesses, nonprofits and the AARP to draw in low-income seniors to eat healthy foods, have supported the program. The program gives increases the number of establishments that accepts food stamp payment by giving dollar for dollar matches for food purchased by eligible seniors. The program labeled as the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Program SFMNP also establishes educational programs about good nutrition in area grocery stores and farmer’s markets (USDA, 2015, p.

Those programs help get the money to fund food to poor neighborhoods that don’t have healthy food. There are other programs that work with each other such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that works with, “Philly Food Bucks, New York City’s Healthy Bucks or Michigan’s Double-Up Food Bucks” which is also stated in the article Access to Healthy Food and Why it Matters by the Food Trust. These programs deal with fruit and vegetables and is a coupon program. One way farmers markets help a low income neighborhood is the prices which are often cheaper than actual grocery stores. In the article, Farmers Markets as a a Strategy to Improve access to Healthy Food for Low-Income Families and Communities by Project for Public Spaces it states, “…..the market is often founded and focused around the needs of low-income residents”, which the article also refers to as

Firstly from my prior knowledge I know that Food Stamps are a system of aid used in the United States of America for families that require benefits as a method of surviving hard times. From the cashier’s reaction in the story of “she sneers as Manna pays her with many coloured food stamps”, I am able

The government has many funds going across the United States to help support the residents of its country. Food stamps, also known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) or TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) is a resource that provides people with a way to buy food if they don’t have the money to do so. This aid is given in different forms such as a LINK card, cash and/or paper that resembles money but can be redeemed for food.Most people that use this resource are having hardships in their lives. The USDA ( U.S Department of Agriculture) states that nearly 40 million Americans are being fed by this program.( "Food Stamps.")

After researching for possible interventions for food insecurity there were several that were found. A couple of these interventions were: Federal Nutrition Programs and community food banks. Federal interventions such as the Federal Nutrition Program have been successful in assisting those low income families who fall in the category of food insecure. According to the reports from the program in 2012 around 908,705 people that came from 401,415 were involved in the SNAP

In order to further support low-income communities and improve this population’s health the federal government needs to not only continue with the supplemental food programs they’ve already put in place, but enhance them by considering the barriers and address them. The government can intervene by integrating other components to the programs that further support people and help eliminate the main barrier by providing them direct access to grocery stores and healthier options. In order for government resources to be more effective in areas where there are limited grocery store options in the community, the government could begin by providing transportation services in areas where grocery stores are limited or if any at all. Providing transportation to those who are receiving government resources like WIC and SNAP would allow families to exhaust

The families in America are steadily changing. While they remain our most valued and consistent source of strength and comfort, some families are becoming increasingly unstructured. In the past, the typical family consists of a working father, a stay at home mother and, of course, well-rounded children. Today, less than 20 percent of American families fit nicely into this cookie cutter image. American households have never been more diverse. Natalie Angier takes stock of the changing definition of family in an article for the New York Times.

The first point consist of the purpose of SNAP. SNAP was created to decrease the food insecurity that many Americans face and improve the health of low-income children and families. Presently , SNAP has a budget of $ 80 billion dollars. Therefore, serving 47.6 million American, including 20 million children (Leung, C. W., Ryan-Ibarra, S., Linares, A., Induni, M., Sugerman, S., Long, M. W., & ... Willett, W. C. (2015)). Though the program is fulfilling its purpose, it has created another problem that Americans especially low-income Americans are directly affected by. This problem is obesity (Leung, C. W., Ryan-Ibarra, S., Linares, A., Induni, M., Sugerman, S., Long, M. W., & ... Willett, W. C.

SNAP benefits should not be an easy hand out, many of the SNAP recipients don't depend on these benefits to live. From the year 2000 to 2014 the cost of giving these benefits out has risen from 20.7 billion to 83.1 billion. The U. S government has spent over $1 trillion on providing, cash, food, housing and social services to the “poor and low income individuals”. These benefits cost the taxpayers around $10.5 billion per year. Which is why many should be cut from receiving these benefits. In the state of Maine they've started a reform to make all the SNAP recipients ages 18-49 who do not have children or anyone else to support must do community service, have a job or be in some kind of training (military, or for a job), to receive their benefits. In the first months of the work policy the SNAP recipients fell from 13,332 to 2,678. This rapid drop will save taxpayers 9.7 billion per