hunger

Florida opted out of a new federal program designed to help parents pay for groceries over the summer. Stetson University's Randall Croom breaks down how food insecurity affects local families.

Ahead of the Jan. 19 federal spending deadline, a program that provides food benefits to women, infants and children in Florida and other states is facing a budget shortfall of about $1 billion.

At schools where 25% of families participate in income-based public benefits, such as SNAP, the federal government now will cover the cost of free meals for all enrolled students.

The interactive map and texting hotline is provided by No Kid Hungry in partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. This year, the resource is also available via WhatsApp.

Sadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, said it's a thin line between being food insecure or not.

Who qualifies for SNAP will change under the bipartisan debt-ceiling agreement signed into law by President Joe Biden.

In Leon County, Elder Care’s executive director worries if Congress' discussions impact funding, it could have a negative effect on seniors' well-being and pockets.

A report published by United Way Suncoast, COVID and Financial Hardship in Florida, says 2 in 5 households in the Tampa Bay region were living on the edge of poverty by 2021.

A lot of people don't think twice about buying milk, says Teresa Calderez. "But there are lots of us out here who can't buy a gallon of milk when we need it."

Officials in 32 states and other jurisdictions have been using texts, voicemails, snail mail, flyers and social media posts — all in multiple languages — to let recipients know that their extra food stamps end after February's payments.