The head of the U.S. food assistance programs visits Rhode Island Tuesday. He’ll be looking at how the Ocean State deals with food insecurity.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Kevin Concannon oversees programs like food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

During his visit to the Ocean state, Concannon, will meet with state officials and advocates who administer the program, as well as families who rely on it and other assistance to purchase groceries.

Concannon is scheduled to start his day at a clinic in Providence, designed for women, infants and children who receive government food benefits. He’ll also visit a Providence middle school that has moved to provide free meals to all students.

According to an annual report from the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, about 173,000 local individuals are enrolled in SNAP. That’s roughly double the number from before the national recession.

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Editor’s note: This post previously read 173,000 families were part of the SNAP program. In fact, it is 1730,000 individuals.

Reporter John Bender was the general assignment reporter for The Public's Radio for several years. He is now a fill-in host when our regular hosts are out.