The number of hungry Americans relying on food benefits from the federal government jumped 14 percent in September 2020 compared with the same month in the previous year.
The latest data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows as the coronavirus pandemic rages and hunger grips the country, nearly 43 million Americans have received help from the government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). September 2019 saw 37 million individuals enrolled in the program.