Oklahoma Receives Nearly $1M for Food Assistance Program

News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The federal government will give a state agency nearly $1 million to improve access to Oklahoma's food assistance program.

The USDA awarded $991,373 to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services for the OK Lean and Green program. OK Lean and Green was designed to make the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, more efficient and customer friendly.

SNAP was formerly known as Food Stamps. The system helped low-income households purchase healthy and nutritious foods.

In state fiscal year 2010, OKDHS distributed $865 million in SNAP assistance payments. That marked a 46 percent increase in one year and a record high for the state.

OK Lean and Green planned to use the federal grant money to reduce the use of paper in OKDHS offices. OKDHS said putting more records online should help Oklahomans receive SNAP benefits more quickly and efficiently.

Oklahoma was one of only eight states to receive a portion of the $5 million awarded from the USDA.