State Households Struggling

To Buy Food

By Mark Pazniokas

The Connecticut Mirror

A national survey released January 26 found that nearly 15 percent of households in Connecticut struggled to buy food in 2009.

The report by the Food Research and Action Center says that 18.7 percent of households with children said they did not have enough money to adequately feed their families.

The findings are consistent with statistics from the state Department of Social Services, which said earlier this month that the number of Food Stamp recipients rose 30 percent last year.

“This up-to-the-moment data reaffirms what we’re seeing in local communities around the state — families are struggling in Connecticut,” said Lucy Nolan, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut!

Nolan said the rate of “food hardship” had declined slightly in 2008, because of dropping food prices and increased participation in aid programs.

The Food and Research Action Center report is based on survey data collected by Gallup. The report is available at www.frac.org.