Alabama poverty

An annual, friendly competition against The University of Alabama and Auburn University that happens during the seven weeks leading up to the Iron Bowl is back in session. The goal is to see which school can collect more non-perishable food to help those in need.

An annual, friendly competition that helps fight food insecurity in Alabama, while collecting donations for the West Alabama Food Bank, is starting up again. The 31st annual Beat Auburn Beat Hunger food drive is kicking off on Oct. 4 at The University of Alabama and runs through Nov. 21.

A new study by a nonprofit tech company is ranking Alabama as one of the worst states for poverty support in the country. SmileHub rates charities and provides resources to help donors maximize the impact of their contributions, including here in the Yellowhammer State.

A statewide nonprofit is calling on Alabamians to lobby for support around a federal program that gives summer financial assistance food-insecure children. This comes after Governor Kay Ivey cited cost concerns for opting out of the Summer EBT initiative.

Advocacy groups are urging Alabama lawmakers to join a federal program that gives summer food assistance to low-income families with school age children. The program called Summer EBT, or Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program, provides families $40 per month for each child receiving free and reduced-price school lunches.

Some Alabama households will be facing food insecurity in the coming months, as the state decided not to take part in a 2024 summer electronic benefit transfer (EBT) program. The nonprofit Alabama Arise is looking to make change ahead of next summer.

Another round of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, payments are be issued to recipients in Alabama during the month of April, but not everyone will be paid on the same date.

Alabama is one of 10 states that hasn't expanded Medicaid to cover adults with low incomes. Members of the nonprofit organization Alabama Arise Action and advocacy partners will gather Tuesday, April 2, at 12:15 p.m. in Room 200 of the State House in Montgomery for a news conference on the urgency of closing Alabama’s health coverage gap.

A report from the financial website WalletHub shows Alabama is one of the worst states for women in 2024. The Yellow Hammer State ranks in at No. 48 on the list.

Advocacy groups in Alabama are urging the public to contact local lawmakers over the continuation of the state sales tax on groceries. This is due to the law having a stipulation that Alabama’s education revenue must increase to offset losses for the deduction to be activated.