by Fred Kammer, S.J.

A new report from the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) puts all five Gulf South states in the “top fifteen” of food hardship for households with children during 2009-2010. Mississippi at 32.5% of households is “number one” among the fifty states (the District of Columbia at 37.4% exceeds all fifty states). Alabama (32.0%) and Florida (30.0%0 follow immediately at “number two” and “number three” among the states while Louisiana (29.0%) and Texas (27.9%) are tied for 6th and 12th, respectively.

Rates of food hardship are determined by those households answering “yes” over the course of a year to the question whether there were times over the past year “when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed.”  See the full report here.