According to the New York Times, “The number of food stamp recipients has climbed by about 10 million over the past two years, resulting in a program that now feeds 1 in 8 Americans and nearly 1 in 4 children.” They provide this map to show the breakdown.

In a related article, the New York Times claims that food stamps have lost the stigma they once held and that “the program is now expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day.” Food stamp use is at a record high.

With unemployment numbers not expected to drop anytime soon and food prices on the rise, how are these “safety nets” going to hold up?