The States Where Food Stamps Are Used the Most By Seth Berkman, Stacker Atstock Productions / Shutterstock Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, food insecurity throughout the United States affected more than 37 million people, among them 11 million children. That number, though staggering, represented the lowest point of food insecurity in the country in almost 90 years. Against the backdrop of the ongoing pandemic, national hunger-relief organization Feeding America expects more than 42 million Americans to face food shortages during 2021. This demand puts additional strain on already-strapped food pantries, hunger-relief organizations, and drives significant need for increases in the country's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, also known previously as food stamps).