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There are a variety of government food assistance programs that provide food to people facing hunger in the United States. Our Government Affairs team works to educate legislators on the need to protect and expand these vital programs to ensure that no one in our community and beyond goes to bed without knowing how they will get their next meal. Use the links below to learn more about each program, including eligibility and how to apply if applicable.
| Acronym | Full Name | Brief Description | Nutrition | Kids | Seniors | Food Banks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Provides timely, targeted, and temporary benefits to low-income Americans to buy groceries. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | |
| The Emergency Food Assistance Program | Provides USDA commodities to families in need of short-term hunger relief through emergency food providers like food banks. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Commodity Supplemental Food Program | Provides food assistance for low-income seniors with a monthly package of healthy USDA commodities. | ✓ | | ✓ | ✓ | |
| The Child and Adult Care Food Program | Provides nutritious meals and snacks to children and adults in designated child and adult care centers. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | |
| The National School Lunch Program | Provides nutritionally balanced lunch to qualified children each school day. | ✓ | ✓ | | | |
| The School Breakfast Program | Provides nutritionally balanced breakfast to qualified children each school day. | ✓ | ✓ | | | |
| The Summer Food Service Program | Provides free meals and snacks to low-income children during the summer months. | ✓ | ✓ | | | |
| Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children | Provides nutritious foods and nutrition education for low-income, at risk women, infants. | ✓ | ✓ | | |
In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: