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The History of SNAP
The History of SNAP
Kaitlyn Fuller
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or most commonly known as the Food Stamps program provides assistance for groceries for low to no income housing. SNAP benefits are distributed all differently depending on the household’s size and income including expenses. Its program supplied food to the pantries of around 40 million Americans in 2018; it was estimated to cost roughly around $57.1 Billion. SNAP has been noticed as a key element of the social safety net for low-income Americans.
The defamation of how many taxes an average citizen pays towards SNAP has become a misconception over the years. The belief that the majority of taxes paid by people goes towards SNAP is untrue, only $36 is approximately paid every year which means $.10 paid per day. SNAP has assisted a diverse population over the decades and is one of the most important programs to help American people. Although the country has changed dramatically since the 1930’s, the program still holds a meaningful impact on citizens who live in America.
SNAP or Food Stamps originated in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. The Great Depression caused unemployment, homelessness, and starvation which became a substantial issue for the majority of the population in the United States. It was created as a social security net for the poor to buy surplus products from farmers and boost the economy in return. A social safety net is assistance provided from the government to help the lives of vulnerable and poverty-stricken families or individuals. Orange stamps were purchased for one dollar and another fifty cents of blue stamps were provided to be used at any sort of food vendors and the like. The program ended in 1943 when unemployment and unmarketable food surpluses became a low priority due to the economy becoming more balanced at the start of World War II.
The program was reintroduced in 1961 when former President John F. Kennedy announced that the food stamp program would be revived. The plan was resisted by the Civil Rights movement from discriminated colored sharecroppers. The colored sharecroppers were already in a bad spot after being replaced by mechanization in agricultural work, but they also lost their source of income due to food stamps. In 1964, by request of former President Johnson, the food stamp program was made permanent and enacted under major provisions. The main focus was to increase nutrition and the strength of the agricultural economy. In 1974, the program expanded nationwide and has been a prominent help in society since.