With the government shutdown ended and funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program assured through September 2026, millions of Americans are about to start getting regular food aid again.

The shutdown brought the scale of the federal food aid program into focus and raised questions about how such a rich country could have so many people on nutrition assistance.

What to know about the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, sometimes referred to as food stamps.

As the controversy over funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) during the government shutdown dragged on in recent days, the top official in charge of the program pivoted to a new talking point, calling the program that some 42 million Americans rely on "corrupt."

After weeks of uncertainty, relief is finally on the horizon for thousands of Sarasota-Manatee families who depend on SNAP benefits. The federal shutdown that froze food assistance for millions has ended, but the ripple effects remain — pantries stretched thin, parents scrambling, and holidays looming.