Ending Hunger.

Improving Nutrition.

Combating Obesity.

United States Department of Agriculture

Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services
Ending Hunger.

Improving Nutrition. 

Combating Obesity.
End Childhood Hunger

The Federal Government has challenged 

Americans and the USDA to end childhood 

hunger. FNS is committed to a leadership role in 

this cause by expanding access to our programs 

through innovative strategies and partnerships. 

For more information, to share your ideas to 

end childhood hunger, or to get involved, visit 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/endhunger.

End Childhood Obesity

FNS and CNPP are active players in working 

to end childhood obesity and to provide healthy 

food to all children in the country. This initiative 

will work to give parents the support they need; 

provide healthier food in schools; help kids to 

be more physically active; and to make healthy, 

affordable food available in every part of 

the country. 

Improve Nutrition

USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services 

ensures access to nutritious, healthful diets 

for all Americans. Through food assistance 

and nutrition education for consumers, FNCS 

encourages consumers to make healthful food 

choices. Today, rather than simply providing 

food, FNCS works to empower consumers with 

knowledge of the link between diet and health, 

providing dietary guidance based on research.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and the 

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) are 

sister agencies in the United States Department of 

Agriculture Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services 

(FNCS) mission area.

Apart from the individual programs and initiatives 

of these agencies, FNS and CNPP have three 

central goals: 
USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)

FNS provides children and needy families with 

access to food and a more healthful diet through 

15 nutrition assistance programs and nutrition 

education efforts.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 

(SNAP) Formerly the Food Stamp Program

SNAP helps low-income people put healthy food 

within reach by providing a monthly benefit used 

to purchase food at the grocery store or farmers’ 

market. Accepted at most grocery stores, benefits 

are provided on an electronic benefit transfer 

(EBT) card, much like a debit card. Eligibility 

is based on income, assets, and other factors. 

Through nutrition education partners, SNAP 

also helps participants learn to make healthy 

eating and active lifestyle choices. SNAP is the 

national program name, but some States may 

use a different name. SNAP is also good for 

communities. Every additional $5.00 of SNAP 

benefits spent generates $9.00 in total 

economic activity.
For more information about SNAP, visit 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap or call 1-800-221-5689. 

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for 

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

WIC serves low-income pregnant women, 

breastfeeding and non-breastfeeding postpartum 

mothers, and infants and children up to 5 years 

old. The program provides supplemental foods, 

nutrition education, referrals, and access to 

health and social services. Each month, those 

who qualify receive vouchers or an electronic 

benefit on an EBT card to purchase specific 

foods that are based on individualized nutritional 

needs identified by a health professional. WIC 

also includes the Farmers’ Market and Senior 

Farmers’ Market Nutrition Programs. 

For more information, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/.

School Meals Programs 

National School Lunch Program

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) 

provides nutritionally balanced and low-cost 

or free lunches to children each school day. 

Free and reduced-price lunches are based on 

each family’s income. Students who participate 

in this program may also have access to 

afterschool snacks and fresh fruits and 
vegetables at school. If a family participates in 

SNAP or WIC, the children also may qualify 

for free or reduced-price school lunches. 

School Breakfast Program

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) gives 

low-income children free or reduced-price 

healthy breakfasts at the start of their school 

day. Breakfasts help students stay alert and 

perform better in class. If a family qualifies 

for SNAP, WIC, or the children qualify for 

the National School Lunch Program, the 

children also may qualify for free or reducedprice school breakfasts.

Applications for School Lunch and Breakfast 

programs are available at all participating schools 

at all times during the school year.

For more information about all the programs, visit 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd. 
Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) 

gives meals to students during the vacation 

months when they do not have access to lunch 

or breakfast at school. Free meals are provided to 

children age 18 and under in summer programs 

run by schools, churches, camps, park and 

recreation departments, and other community 

organizations. Most meals are free to any child 

who comes to eat. Sometimes a family may be 

asked to provide information about their income 

in order to qualify for free meals. 

For more information or State contact information to 

find a SFSP meal site near you, or if your organization 

is interested in becoming a Summer Food sponsor or 

feeding site, visit http://www.summerfood.usda.gov. 

Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)

The Child and Adult Care Food Program 

(CACFP) helps child and adult care providers 

serve healthy meals and snacks each day as 

a regular part of their day care. CACFP also 

serves at-risk children age 18 and under who are 

residents of emergency shelters or participants in 

afterschool programs. 

For more information, or if you’re interested in 

participating as a care provider, visit 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/care. 
Food Assistance for Disaster Relief

During a disaster such as a storm, earthquake, 

flood, or other emergency, FNS works with 

State and local organizations to open feeding 

sites, deliver food packages to families, or issue 

emergency SNAP benefits. These programs are 

offered in Presidentially-declared Disaster Areas 

with individual assistance available.

After a natural disaster in your community, see if 

your State has a disaster Web site or information 

hotline that would help you learn about getting 

food in a disaster. 

Food Distribution

USDA purchases food, which is provided 

through several nutrition assistance programs, 

including the Food Distribution Program on 

Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Schools/Child 

Nutrition Commodity Programs, The Emergency 

Food Assistance Program, and the Commodity 

Supplemental Food Program. 

For more information about Food Distribution Programs, 

visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/. 
FNS Partnership Opportunities

Tough times require new solutions. Partner with 

the Food and Nutrition Service! FNS is seeking 

partners to assist with the following:

•Information Sharing

•Program Eligibility Screening

•Providing Services

•Application Assistance

•Referrals

Partnering with FNS gives you access to 

free outreach materials on FNS programs that 

are available to download online or via mail 

order. Also, free nutrition education materials, 

including MyPyramid, are available through 

the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and 

Promotion. Other opportunities include training 

and technical support relating to outreach efforts 

for FNS programs. 

For more information or to discuss partnership 

opportunities, contact partnerships@fns.usda.gov 

or visit us at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/outreach.htm.
USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and 

Promotion (CNPP)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the 

lead Federal agency in human nutrition. Within 

USDA, the Center for Nutrition Policy and 

Promotion is the focal agency for nutrition 

policy whose mission is to improve the health of 

Americans by developing and promoting dietary 

guidance that links scientific research to the 

nutrition needs of consumers. 

CNPP translates nutrition guidance into 

consumer-oriented promotion programs to 

improve the dietary behavior of all Americans. 

CNPP nutrition education tools for the 

public include:

Dietary Guidelines for Americans: The Dietary 

Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are the sciencebased foundation in all Federal nutrition 

education and promotion programs including 

ones supporting Federal nutrition assistance 

programs. The DGAs are also used by most 

private sector nutrition education initiatives. 

The DGAs recommend healthy eating patterns 

that include caloric intake, serving sizes, and 

types of food. 

For more information, go to: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/

DietaryGuidelines.htm. 
MyPyramid: The MyPyramid Food Guidance 

System is a network of nutrition education tools 

that put the Dietary Guidelines into practice by 

providing personalized information on foods 

and dietary patterns. MyPyramid.gov is the most 

widely accessed Federal dietary guidance Web 

site, serving millions of consumers, educators, 

researchers, and policymakers each week. 

For more information, go to: http://www.MyPyramid.gov.

CNPP also conducts applied research and 

analyses in nutrition and consumer economics, 

e.g., to support eating healthy at low incomes 

through USDA Food Plans and to assess diet 

quality in America. 
CNPP Partnership Opportunities

Partnering with MyPyramid offers an opportunity for organizations and communities 

to join together in helping promote aspects 

of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

and MyPyramid. 

Benefits of partnering with CNPP:

• Partner accomplishments are regularly 

highlighted on www.MyPyramid.gov. 

• Networking opportunities are facilitated 

between partners.

• Knowledge and experience will be shared 

among partners as CNPP goes forward 

in communicating the Dietary Guidelines 

for Americans. 
USDA National Hunger Clearinghouse

For food assistance and other social service 

resources, individuals can call the toll-free 

USDA National Hunger Hotline at 

1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479). 

Support the USDA National Hunger 

Clearinghouse. Register your organization in 

our database of hunger resources. People who 

call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) will 

receive your information through referrals. The 

more complete and robust the database is, then 

the closer we can come to ending hunger in the 

United States. Registration is free, and it only 

takes a few minutes. 

For more information and to register, visit 

http://www.fns.usda.gov/hungerhotline.

 
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination 

in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial 

status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income 

is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases 

apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative 

means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, 

audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 

(voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of 

Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20250-

9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an 

equal opportunity provider and employer.

For More Information:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

Office of Strategic Initiatives, 

Partnerships and Outreach

3101 Park Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22302

http://www.fns.usda.gov

For organizations interested in partnering 

with FNS: partnerships@fns.usda.gov

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

Nutrition Marketing and Communication Division

3101 Park Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22302

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov

For organizations interested in partnering with 

CNPP: http://www.mypyramid.gov/

Challenge/index.html

November 2010

FNS-417

Ending Hunger.

Improving Nutrition. 

Combating Obesity.