SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and was formerly referred to as the Food Stamp Program. SNAP provides low-income households with electronic benefits they can use like cash at most grocery stores. SNAP is the cornerstone of the Federal food assistance programs, and provides crucial support to needy households and to those making the transition from welfare to work.
The recession has caused a record number of Americans to receive SNAP benefits. A study published in an American Medical Association Journal has estimated that nearly half of all children and 90 percent of African American children will receive SNAP benefits by the age of 20.
This map represents annual average monthly SNAP participation rates, for years 1999 to 2008. Figures are calculated by dividing the annual participation total by twelve.
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
