SAN DIEGO -- Hundreds of thousands of San Diegans are going hungry even though there's a way for them to get food.

Officials with the San Diego County Health and Human Services said about 168,000 people are registered with the federally funded Food Stamp Program. The program gives eligible participants an ATM-style card, called an Electronic Benefit Transfer Card, to use when they go to the grocery store.

The problem is, only 35 percent of the people who are eligible for the program are actually using it, county officials said. Officials with the San Diego Food Bank said part of the problem is getting people to fill out the extensive application.

"The food stamp application is cumbersome," said San Diego Food Bank Chairman of the Board Mitch Mitchell. "It's difficult. It is its own barrier."

To overcome those difficulties, the county has teamed with several other agencies like the Food Bank to sign more people up for the Food Stamp Program. Since 2009, volunteers have been walking people through the application process. In less than eight months, the Food Bank helped fill out 1,600 applications, and of those applications, 1,100 people were eligible for the program.

The program is now seeing growth in the county.

"In the last year the number has increased by about 37 percent," said Health and Human Services Assistant Deputy Director Kim Forrester. "And over the last two years, it's nearly over 65 percent increase."

Click here for more information on the County's Food Stamp Program.