The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP, the new name for food stamps), is one of the best lines of defense against hunger in the United States. The federally funded program helps working families, seniors and many others in need put food on their tables. But stereotypes about SNAP and who uses it persist.

Let's set the record straight:

Myth #1: People who get SNAP don’t work.

FACT: According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the program, 29% of households enrolled in SNAP do work. Of all SNAP households in the United States, 51% include children, 19% include seniors and 23% include someone disabled. All together, 83% of SNAP households contain a child, a senior or a disabled person.

Myth #2: SNAP is a drain on taxpayers.

FACT: Every $5 in SNAP benefits generates $9 in economic activity, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. SNAP not only helps low-income people buy groceries, it frees up cash for other expenses, such as medical care, clothing, home repairs and childcare. That benefits local businesses and their employees, which boosts the economy as a whole.

Myth #3: SNAP is rife with fraud and abuse.

FACT: Pennsylvania's food stamp fraud rate is 0.1% of all cases, one of the lowest rates among states with more than a million participants. The introduction of EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) cards has dramatically reduced consumer fraud. According to the USDA, the small amount of fraud that continues is usually on the part of retailers, not consumers.

Myth #4: SNAP benefits go to illegal immigrants.

FACT: Illegal immigrants have never been eligible for SNAP. Legal immigrants can only get food stamps if they've lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with exceptions for refugees, asylees and children). In fact, immigrants are far less likely to apply for food stamps because they worry about jeopardizing their immigration status and because the application process is especially daunting for non-English speakers.

Important: SNAP is a nutrition program run by the USDA and is not considered a welfare program. Receiving SNAP benefits will not affect a legal immigrant’s immigration status or any effort to gain U.S. citizenship.

Myth #5: Hunger isn't a problem in my community.

FACT: More than half a million people in the five-county region get SNAP. As of December 2009, Philadelphia County had 400,113 SNAP participants, a 14% increase over the past year.

Other counties saw sharper increases in SNAP use:

• Montgomery County: 34,515 SNAP participants (up 33% from the year prior)
• Bucks County: 29,003 participants (up 32%);
• Delaware County: 55,565 participants (up 23%);
• Chester County: 16,848 participants (up 28%)

Myth #6: SNAP leads to unhealthy eating habits and obesity.

FACT: National studies show no significant link, positive or negative, between food stamps and healthy eating. Nor do they demonstrate a relationship between food stamps and weight gain.