The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded its online shopping for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by adding more than 150 retail chains through which participants can shop for groceries.
SNAP participants have access to thousands of store locations, a department news release said.
The USDA is bringing a variety of new grocers online, concentrating “on smaller, independent retailers,” the release said. The agency is extending technical help to stakeholders interested in offering SNAP online buying. Retailers in the program include “Schneider’s of Kirkwood in New York, 78 Target stores in Minnesota and 10 Buehler’s Fresh Foods stores in Ohio.”
“Online grocery shopping is a convenient, safe, secure way to shop for food while saving SNAP participants time and money,” said Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, in the release. “Expanding the diversity of our online shopping retailers is a critical component of our nutrition security goal to provide better access to healthy, safe, affordable foods.”
The Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service uses 15 nutrition assistance programs to give low-income families, children and individuals equal access to safe, wholesome food.
“Under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack, FNS is fighting to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school meals and WIC,” the release said.
