City Harvest Programs » Advocacy

SNAP

Benefits available to individuals

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly know as the “Food Stamp Program”, is designed to enable people with limited income to increase their ability to purchase food. The program, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), provides SNAP benefits through the use of an electronic benefits card (EBT) that is used instead of cash to purchase food items at participating grocery stores and supermarkets. An increase to SNAP benefits was recently approved in the Federal Economic Stimulus Package.

More information about the program can be found on the websites of administering agencies: Human Resources Administration (HRA) on the city level, and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) on the state level.

The WIC Program for Women, Infants, and Children provides food with targeted nutrients, such as iron, calcium, and folic acid, to populations at risk for deficiencies. Traditionally, WIC provided mostly milk and cheese, baby formula, juice, and fortified cereals, but in 2009 the WIC package was updated to include fruits and vegetables.

For more information contact Kate MacKenzie, Director of Policy and Government Relations at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).