Abstract
Despite a strong economy, the use of private, nonprofit food assistance is increasing. To determine how single parenthood affects the use of both public and private food assistance, a sample of food bank clients and low-income, food-needy non-clients in East Alabama was interviewed. Overall, single-parent food-pantry clients indicated higher levels of food insecurity than other groups, but the non-clients who were not single parents also indicated high levels of need. Although 42 percent of food bank clients were single parents, results showed that married couples with children were more highly represented among the food bank clients than among food-needy individuals who do not use the pantry. Single parents were more likely than others to receive food stamp and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits, a finding that corresponds to this group's lower incomes and larger family sizes.
Recommended Citation
Duffy, Patricia, Ginger Hallmark, Joseph Molnar, LaToya Claxton, Conner Bailey, and Steve Mikloucich. 2002. "Food Security of Low-Income Single Parents in East Alabama: Use of Private and Public Programs in the Age of Welfare Reform." Journal of Rural Social Sciences, 18(1): Article 3. Available at: https://egrove.olemiss.edu/jrss/vol18/iss1/3
Publication Date
6-30-2002
