Before the New Deal, and the many benefits and programs that came with it, food and housing assistance was highly dependent on churches and private charities. Because of this reliance, help was often patchy and unreliable, even in the cities of the time. In rural areas, service was even worse, and there were no garuntees of government assistance to citizens in hard times.

In the wake of the Great Depression, FDR's administration introduced numerous acts and programs to combat hunger, poverty, and unemployment. Examples include:

Works Progress Administration

Federal Emergency Relief Administration

Social Security Act

Generally, Republican administrations have advocated for smaller government and less programs, favoring private charities and churches to provide assistance in place of government programs, wheras Democrat administrations have expanded programs. 

Noticable moments have been Regan cuts to food stamps and welfare programs, and the 2008 ression prompting the Obama administration to pass the 2009 Recovery Act, expaning SNAP resources & eligibility