The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), called CalFresh in California, helps millions of people across the country afford the nutritious food we all need to go to work, pay attention in school, look for employment, care for ourselves and our families, and more. It reduces poverty, stimulates the economy, and improves the long-term well-being of kids and adults. It is an investment in our communities that benefits us all.
What is SNAP?
SNAP is the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. SNAP helps over 40 million people each month afford food without sacrificing their health and well-being. It is our country’s most effective tool to reduce hunger and food insecurity among our most vulnerable neighbors, including children, older adults, people working low-paying jobs, people with disabilities and serious health conditions, and veterans. Beyond the immediate food benefits, SNAP acts as an economic multiplier, lifts participants out of poverty, and has long term health and economic benefits.
What does SNAP do?
SNAP helps low-income households afford more healthy foods by providing monthly benefits on an EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) card that can be used at grocery stores, farmers markets and some online retailers. The benefit amount depends on household size, income and expenses. SNAP can be used to purchase fresh produce, meats, dairy, bread and other groceries; it does not cover alcohol, tobacco, hot prepared foods or non-food items. In addition, every state operates SNAP nutrition education programs to help participants make healthy food choices.
SNAP can reduce food insecurity by as much as 30% and is especially effective for children and families facing the most severe hunger. One study found that food insecurity among children fell by roughly a third after their families received SNAP benefits for six months.
Who uses SNAP?
SNAP is available to low-income individuals and families, including students, seniors and those who are unemployed or underemployed. Two-thirds of SNAP participants are children, adults over age 60, and people with disabilities, including 6 million children, 8 million seniors, and 4 million non-elderly adults with disabilities.
Many people who use SNAP are working or actively looking for work. SNAP helps fill in the gaps when pay is low, hours are unpredictable, or someone is between jobs. Many adults on SNAP work in essential roles—like cashiers, cooks, or home health aides—jobs that are vital but often don’t pay enough or come with benefits like paid sick days or family leave. That means getting sick or needing to care for a loved one can put their job at risk. SNAP provides a little stability in the middle of all that uncertainty.
Why is SNAP so effective?
SNAP provides access to nutritious food on a scale that food banks and other sources of free food cannot replace. For every meal provided by food banks in California, 9 are provided by CalFresh.
Because SNAP allows recipients to purchase the types of foods they need, when and where it is most convenient for them, it is the most efficient way to prevent hunger. Food bank distributions and meal programs can’t replace the scale and flexibility of SNAP.
Is SNAP a good return on investment?
SNAP’s return on investment far outweighs its costs. Beyond helping millions of people afford the food they need, SNAP plays a critical role in reducing poverty, improving health and economic outcomes, and supporting the economy during downturns. SNAP has near-term and long-lasting effects that extend from childhood into adulthood.
SNAP reduces poverty.
SNAP is a powerful anti-poverty tool. The USDA’s Economic Research Service has found that SNAP alleviates poverty both in prevalence and severity, particularly among children. The effects are even more pronounced during times of economic downturns or after natural disasters. It’s one of the most effective tools we have for fighting poverty in the U.S.
SNAP is an economic multiplier and supports local communities.
When people use SNAP benefits to buy groceries, it doesn’t just help them—it helps the whole community. That money goes to local stores, farmers, truck drivers, and others involved in getting food to the shelves, who in turn spend that income on other goods and services. It creates a ripple effect, where every SNAP dollar ends up generating even more economic activity.
- SNAP helps to stabilize the economy during downturns. In a weak economy, every $1 in spending on SNAP benefits generates $1.54 to $1.80 in economic activity as households use their benefits to shop at over 250,000 local grocery stores and supermarkets, spurring new spending throughout local economies across the country.
- CalFresh is critical to California’s economy. In 2023, it brought in $13 billion in federal food benefits, $23 billion in total economic activity, and more than 173,000 jobs statewide. These food benefits not only support low-income individuals, but also 23,874 markets across the state where CalFresh benefits are spent — supporting farmers, farmworkers, truckers, grocers and more.
- Within Silicon Valley, an area with one of the highest costs of living in the country, nearly 110,000 households receive CalFresh, freeing up crucial dollars for other essentials like rent, utilities, childcare or medical bills.
SNAP has long term benefits for children.
By investing directly in the health and well-being of low-income children, SNAP provides benefits that last a lifetime. One study estimated that every SNAP dollar invested in children returns $62 in value over their lifetimes due to a range of benefits including improved educational outcomes, higher earnings in adulthood, increased life expectancy and increased government tax revenue.
SNAP is linked with improved health outcomes and lower medical costs.
SNAP helps low-income households afford healthier diets and frees up money for health-related activities and medical care, which can contribute to better outcomes over time. Those include better self-reported health, lower risk of heart disease and obesity in adults who received SNAP as children, and older adults being more likely to take their medications regularly, which can help them stay independent and continue living in their own homes.
- SNAP participants are more likely to report excellent or very good health than low-income non-participants.
- Infants and children in families receiving food assistance from SNAP are more likely to see a doctor for periodic check-ups.
- Early access to SNAP among pregnant mothers and in early childhood improved birth outcomes and long-term health as adults.
- Elderly SNAP participants are less likely than similar non-participants to forgo their full prescribed dosage of medicine due to cost.
- Low-income adults participating in SNAP incur $1,400 — nearly 25 percent — less in medical care costs than low-income non-participants.
Why are SNAP and food banks both essential?
SNAP and food banks are both essential and play different and complementary roles in addressing hunger. SNAP is able to reach millions of people consistently, and helps people buy the food they want, when they need it, preserving choice and dignity. It adjusts to need—expanding during emergencies like pandemics or economic downturns.
Food banks are a critical part of our country’s safety net—and in many communities, they’ve become the safety net. When federal programs like SNAP don’t go far enough, food banks step in to make sure people don’t have to choose between groceries and rent.
SNAP doesn’t consider cost of living when determining who qualifies or how much support someone receives. In places like the Bay Area, where expenses are sky-high, even people with jobs often earn too much to get help—yet still struggle to make ends meet. And for those who do qualify, the benefits may not cover a full month of groceries, especially with rising food prices.
That’s where food banks come in.
We’re rooted in the communities we serve. By partnering with local organizations like schools, churches, senior centers and neighborhood pantries, we reach people where they are. We build trust, offer information and resources, and help folks get connected to the support they need.
When disaster strikes—whether it’s a wildfire, earthquake, or pandemic—food banks are often among the first to respond. We provide immediate, flexible relief to people in crisis, with no red tape.
We also rescue perfectly good food that would otherwise go to waste—getting it into the hands of neighbors facing hunger and helping build a more sustainable food system.
A strong safety net requires federal and local support
Together, SNAP and food banks create stronger, more resilient communities. To truly end hunger, we need to invest in every part of the safety net—from federal nutrition programs like SNAP to the local food banks that meet people where they are. Together, we can make sure we all have the nutritious food needed to thrive.