The economic downturn and ongoing under-employment in the U.S. have resulted in a big increase in the number of Americans using food stamps. Once considered a social safety net for only the lowest income Americans, the use of federally funded food stamps has grown dramatically over the last two years. New government data shows one in eight Americans now rely on food stamps to make ends meet.

With nearly 15 million Americans out of work, a program once reserved for welfare recipients is becoming a fact of life for more Americans.

Voice of America