“The average American household spends most of its money— 62% of an average $56,000 in annual expenditures — on just three things: housing, transportation, and food.”

Federal Food Assistance Programs

In a country that wastes billions of pounds of food each year, it's almost shocking that anyone in America goes hungry. Yet every day, there are millions of children and adults who do not get the meals they need to thrive. These Federal Food Assistance Programs support families that are struggling with hunger. If you or someone needs access to food or other assistance, these programs may offer you and your family the support you’ve been searching for.

Help for families with a young child or infant:

• SNAP - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
• WIC - Women, Infants, and Children
• CACFP - The Child Care and Adult Care Food Program

Help for families with a child or teen:

• NSLP - The National School Lunch Program
• SFSP - The Summer Food Service Program
• SBP - The School Breakfast Program

Help for family members over 60:

• CSFP - The Commodity Supplemental Food Program

Other:

• TEFAP - The Emergency Food Assistance Program

Using this helpful chart provides a brief description of each program and allows you to easily compare each to find the assistance best suited for your needs. By clicking on each specific program you can discover if you’re eligible and learn how to apply.

Immediate Food Assistance

To receive immediate food assistance you can call the National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273). Additionally, you can connect with your local food bank here.

Other Benefits

Families struggling to get enough to eat, are often struggling to meet other basic needs as well. Many could also use assistance with housing, employment, healthcare and more. There are federal programs that can assist with these needs, Uncover Top Federal Benefit Programs.