Since its inception in 1982, the program has been providing low-income families living in Puerto Rico with cash benefits used for food purchases.[1] It is a collaborative effort between the USDA and the island's government, where the former provides annual federal appropriations for the Puerto Rican government to distribute individually among eligible participants. Although the methods of providing such benefits have changed over the years, the program's basic objective of helping low-income families meet their nutritional needs has remained constant.