SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program which is formerly known as the Food Stamp Program is a government assistance program that provides food-purchasing assistance to help low- to no-income people living in the United States. This program is a Federal aid program which was administered by the U.S Department of Agriculture under the Food and Nutrition Service. SNAP is also the largest nutrition assistance programs out of the fifteen domestic nutrition assistance programs (SNAP, 2014). The food assistance program is addressing and fixing the problem of the amount of hunger in the United States. The program is aimed to provide unemployed people with food as a crutch for them to get back on their feet while they look for employment. Also, the program is to provide food assistance for those who are employed at low-income jobs. This program does not just focus on providing people with money for food, but allows them enough money to purchase nutritious food for their households as well. This program is targeted to provide nutritional support for low-wage working families, low-income seniors,and people with disabilities who may have fixed incomes. SNAP is also one of the most responsive federal programs which provides additional assistance during recessions and other downtimes the United States might face economically (SNAP, 2014). .
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits include a certain amount of money for an individual or group household that is meant for food purchasing only. People who qualify for SNAP will not receive cash-in-hand, but will receive a plastic debit card called an Electronic Benefits Transfer or an (EBT) card. People will be able to use this food assistance card at most grocery store, supermarkets, and convenience stores. Every month, SNAP food stamps benefits will be directly deposited into the individual's or household's of the owners EBT card (SNAP, 2014).