The Food Stamp Program is the leading program to help prevent hunger among low-income people in the United States. It is the largest of 15 domestic food and nutrition assistance programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). In the District of Columbia, the Income Maintenance Administration (IMA) of the Department of Human Services administers the Food Stamp Program, managing a caseload of more than 45,000 households. This caseload adds up to more than 15 percent of all residents in the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia, which has been recognized by FNS as having one of the highest participation rates in the country, managed food stamp benefits for more participants than nine states in 2004. Despite the size of the District of Columbia's Food Stamp Program, no studies have taken a focused look at the characteristics of the city's food stamp population.