Higher prices have led to a majority of Louisiana adults skipping a meal in order to save on food costs, according to a new survey. That is concerning to local agencies that aim to help.
If adults are skipping meals to help save money, United Way of Southeast Louisiana President Michael Williamson wonders, what's happening with their kids?
"Is that to sacrifice to make sure a child gets a meal, or is everybody having to skip?" asks Williamson.
United Way of Southeast Louisiana President Michael Williamson says it also raises the question about what happens with the other meals: are they cutting back on how much they eat, or are they otherwise getting less nutrition? Williamson says this also highlights the issue of how even working people are struggling.
The United Way calls it the ALICE index: families that are Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. It applies to families with working heads of household who are still struggling with money.
"More than 50 percent of Louisiana households don't make enough to meet their basic needs, which includes food," he said.
And Williamson says food insecurity can be just as disruptive to a community as violence.
"Sometimes we talk about the obvious traumas that individuals face, violence in the community, etcetera, but oftentimes we don't talk about the trauma that goes with lack of access to food," said Williamson.
