Fifteen per cent of the U.S. population takes food stamps,
according to a recent statistical report from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture which funds the program.
An
average of 46.6 million people per month got an average of $133 per person per
month, a total of $78.3 billion in federal spending.
That makes Canada's food banks look like peanuts.
More
people have sought help since the financial crisis hit in 2008.
Among
the top five funded food programs, two are administered through U.S. schools - the National School Lunch Program, and the School Breakfast Program.
They
reach 31.6 million children at a cost of $11.6 billion.
The food programs take more than half of the U.S.D.A. budget of about $151 billion.
