The holidays are a time to gather with family and friends, and often over a meal. But, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2017 more than 15 million households struggled to have enough food to meet the needs of themselves and their families due to a lack of money or other resources. Benefits.gov offers information on a variety of food assistance programs, for all ranges of age and location, to help those dealing with hunger and food insecurity.
USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest federal nutrition assistance program. SNAP provides financial assistance on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card for eligible low-income individuals and families to use like a debit card to purchase eligible food in authorized retail stores. You can use the USDA SNAP Pre-Screening Eligibility Tool to find out if you’re eligible to receive SNAP benefits. If you have further questions about the program, or how to apply, you can also contact your state’s local SNAP office.
Similarly, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC)provides supplemental food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, referrals, and access to health and social services, to low-income, pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, as well as infants and children up to age five who are at nutritional risk. The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) offers coupons for fresh, locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs to WIC participants for use at eligible farmers’ markets and stands.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) helps supplement the diets of low-income Americans, by providing emergency food assistance at no cost. Through the program, USDA purchases nutritious, high-quality foods and makes them available to state distributing agencies to provide to local agencies and food banks to then serve to the public. For more information, you can contact your state distributing agency. You can also use the Feeding America locator to find your local food bank. To browse more federal and state resources, visit our Food and Nutrition category. Also, to help determine your eligibility for more than 1,200 benefits on our site, we encourage you to visit our Benefit Finder and begin answering questions about your current situation to instantly view a list of benefits that you may be eligible to receive.
Benefits.gov wishes you and your loved ones a happy and healthy holiday season!
https://www.benefits.gov/news/article/359?utm_source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dr339
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