Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

• Not enough money for foodPoverty image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
  
  One popular food assistance program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is administered by the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program helped feed more than 40 million Americans in 2010.
  
  People applying for SNAP assistance start at the state and county levels. Eligibility is determined by resources, such as bank accounts and vehicles. As of 2011, total assets must be no more than $2,000 in 2011. Also income is an eligibility requirement, and can not exceed $2,389 monthly, for a family of four.
  
  The maximum monthly benefit for for a family of four was $668 in 2011. To apply for the program, contact your county health office, fill out an application and interview a program representative. Documentation of income and resources is required.
  
  

Supplemental Food Assistance to Women, Infants and Children

• The WIC program is administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and provides supplemental food assistance to women, children and infants. It also offers nutrition education and referral information for other agencies offering food assistance. There were more than 90 state agencies in 2010 that offered WIC food assistance.
  
  Eligibility standards include income, state residency, nutrition deficiency as determined by a doctor, a category requirement that the applicant is a woman, that is pregnant, or breastfeeding, or with a baby under age 1, or a child under age 5.
  
  The program is short-term, lasting between six months and a year. Contact the state agency administering the program to apply for the assistance. Eligible recipients receive food packages containing, juice, milk, whole wheat bread, fruits and vegetables, fish, cheese, eggs, legumes, and peanut butter.
  
  

USDA Emergency Food Assistance Program

• The USDA buys food commodities and distributes them to each state, which provides the food to the needy and elderly through designated food banks. The amount of food commodities received by each state is determined by the number of unemployed and families living in poverty. In 2010, about $60 billion was provided to low-income and elderly recipients.
  
  Eligibility for this program is determined by each state, and includes income standards and state residency, among other factors. To apply for assistance, contact the state distributing agencies. Once approved for the program a recipient can go to the nearest food bank and pick out a supply of food for the family.
  
  

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides nutrition facts and information. While it does not provide grants, CDC provides a wealth of information regarding the nutrition, and provides a good resource for people receiving food assistance.