Description

The Food Stamp Program traces its earliest origins back to the Food Stamp
Plan, which began in 1939 to help needy families in the Depression Era. The modern
program began as a pilot project in 1961 and was authorized as a permanent program in 1964. Today, the federal Food Stamp Program exists within the State of Michigan in the form of the "Bridge Card" and is managed by the Michigan Department of
Human Services (DHS), Even though there are 586,000 Food Assistance Program
cases in Michigan with more than 1.2 million persons receiving benefits, this is far
less than a 100% participation rate for those who are eligible.