CHAPTER 4
opportunity” between pregnancy and age 2 and those ages 2 through 5. Food distribution
programs send packages of bulk commodities to local providers who serve meals in congregate settings, such as in long-term care facilities for low-income seniors.
Nearly three-fourths of USDA’s entire operating budget now goes to nutrition programs.3
In 2012, Bread for the World released a fact sheet that showed how much the federal nutrition programs contribute to fighting hunger compared to all the food contributed by private
charities. For every 24 bags of food
assistance in the United States,
Figure 4.1 Private vs. Federal Food Assistance (2011)
government nutrition programs
provide 23.4 See Figure 4.1. The
$120
fact sheet was not intended to
28.0
downplay the role of charities in
$100
fighting hunger or to minimize
$96.88
the value of their efforts. Rather,
$80
it was to highlight that private
$60
charity couldn’t possibly expand
by enough to compensate for pro$40
posed cuts to the federal nutrition
programs.
$20
SNAP is often called the nation’s
$4.13
first line of defense against hunger.
$0
In 2013, more than 47 million
$ in Billions
Americans per month participated
i