SNAP Has Provided Grocery Help for 60-plus Years; Here’s How It Works

SNAP Has Provided Grocery Help for 60-plus Years; Here’s How It Works
A grocery store employee stocks produce, which is covered by the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), at a grocery store in Baltimore, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Stephanie Scarbrough/AP Photo
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The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a major piece of the U.S. social safety net used by nearly 42 million, or about 1 in 8 Americans, to help buy groceries.

Originally known as the food stamp program, it has existed since 1964, serving low-income people, many of whom have jobs but don’t make enough money to cover all the basic costs of living.