Hunger Solutions Institute at Auburn University

06/03/2026

The Delta Healthy Food Financing Initiative is helping build a stronger food system across the Delta region. Established in 2024 through a partnership between Auburn University Hunger Solutions Institute, Hope Enterprise Corporation, and Wright Food Solutions, Delta HFFI supports food retailers and supply chain partners through financing opportunities, technical assistance, and networking support. By investing in local food systems, the initiative is working to expand access to healthy, affordable food and create lasting community impact. 💚

To learn more, visit: https://hsi.auburn.edu/programs/delta-healthy-food.php

05/28/2026

Healthy food incentives are not just good policy, they are good business.

Retailers participating in Add Milk saw:
• $2.13M in SNAP milk sales
• Excitement from customers
• Strong engagement across stores

One participating Add Milk retail store manager shared:
“A lot of customers have been coming to our location who are new, because they heard of this program through family, friends, or social media. We have had many customers say they have been drinking more milk in the morning, because they are able to take advantage of this program. They love coming to our location and being able to not only take milk but also buy items for free with the incentives they earned!”

The chart below shows sustained growth in milk sales over time. 📊

Even more telling: stores report new customers and stronger community engagement. Public health and retail performance can and should work together. To learn more, visit: https://aub.ie/AddMilkReport.

This finding is based on a report by Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute on the initial rollout and implementation of Add Milk from May 2023 – Dec 2024. Add Milk is a USDA-funded pilot program designed to increase the purchase and consumption of milk among SNAP households. By the end of Dec 2024, Add Milk was operational in 612 stores, 9 retailers, and 13 states, using both coupon-based incentives and automatic discounts at the point of sale.

05/25/2026

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. 🇺🇸

Their courage will never be forgotten. Wishing everyone a meaningful and reflective Memorial Day.

05/22/2026

We are so proud to see former Hunger Solutions Institute teammate Dr. Sara Gonzalez featured in this segment on accessible home gardening. 🌱💚

Dr. Gonzalez has always brought passion, creativity, and heart to everything she does, and this feature is such a great example of using outdoor spaces to make wellness, independence, and gardening more accessible for everyone.

Be sure to check out the full story and see the impact she is making!

Bonnie Plants has over a century of experience in the horticulture and consumer gardening industry, and they use that expertise to keep gardneing accessible, approachable, and successful for the everday consumer. Serving home gardeners through its national reach and supporting programs in schools, B...

05/19/2026

Do nutrition incentives actually change behavior?

During 2024, Add Milk drove measurable shifts:
• Incentivized milk purchases in SNAP households increased from 12.78% to 16.25%
• Share of milk transactions including incentivized milk increased from 11.97% to 16.72%

The chart below shows this steady shift month over month. 📈

When affordability barriers are removed, healthier choices follow. To learn more, visit: https://aub.ie/AddMilkReport.

This finding is based on a report by Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute on the initial rollout and implementation of Add Milk from May 2023 – Dec 2024. Add Milk is a USDA-funded pilot program designed to increase the purchase and consumption of milk among SNAP households. By the end of Dec 2024, Add Milk was operational in 612 stores, 9 retailers, and 13 states, using both coupon-based incentives and automatic discounts at the point of sale.

05/11/2026

What does scale look like in a SNAP nutrition incentive program for milk?

In less than two years, Add Milk :

• Reached 334,000+ households
• Delivered nearly $1M in incentives
• Expanded to 612 stores across 13 states

And momentum is still building, with monthly incentive usage now exceeding $100K!📈

See how quickly this has grown in the chart below.

This is what happens when public health programs are designed for real-world adoption. To learn more, visit: https://aub.ie/AddMilkReport.

This finding is based on a report by Auburn University’s Hunger Solutions Institute on the initial rollout and implementation of Add Milk from May 2023 – Dec 2024. Add Milk is a USDA-funded pilot program designed to increase the purchase and consumption of milk among SNAP households. By the end of Dec 2024, Add Milk was operational in 612 stores, 9 retailers, and 13 states, using both coupon-based incentives and automatic discounts at the point of sale.

05/08/2026

Spotlighting the power of communication to strengthen communities. This article highlights how the Hunger Solution Institute’s Communication and Marketing Specialist, Caitlin McRae Allen, works to connect food access and nutrition resources through thoughtful communication, marketing, outreach, and engagement efforts. Thank you to our Communications and Marketing Student Assistant, Audrey Millar, for sharing this story and for capturing the impact of this work through their class feature story. To learn more, visit: https://auburnadvance.org/2026/05/07/hsi-communications-specialist-connects-auburn-community-to-food-access-programs/

04/23/2026

We are so excited to celebrate Theresa Burdette for completing the COMPASS Program at Auburn University.

Through this two semester program, Theresa strengthened her understanding of the full research process, from pre award to post award, while gaining valuable insight into the policies, regulations, and real world challenges that shape research administration.

This accomplishment reflects her dedication to learning, growth, and supporting the meaningful work of the Hunger Solutions Institute. We are grateful to have her as part of our team and are proud of the knowledge and perspective she brings back to HSI.

Congratulations, Theresa. We are so proud of you and excited to see all that you continue to accomplish.

04/22/2026

Today, we want to give a huge shout out to Patrice for Administrative Professionals Day! 🎉

Patrice is our Administrative Support Specialist and has been with us for a little over a year. We truly cannot imagine our team without her.

With a career rooted in executive support, Patrice brings warmth, organization, and professionalism to everything she does. She is known for her steady presence and her quick sense of humor, often serving as the quiet strength behind the scenes.

She is the glue that holds our team together. You will often hear team members praising her for how incredible she is at what she does. Simply put, we could not do what we do every day without her!

04/20/2026

We’re concluding our celebration of National Student Employment Week by highlighting one final outstanding student employee!

Meet Abby Jo, a senior studying Global Studies and Nutrition Wellness with a minor in Hunger Studies.

At the Hunger Solutions Institute, Abby works behind the scenes to bring clarity and structure to daily operations by developing standard operating procedures that keep projects running smoothly. From organizing day-to-day processes to supporting team accountability, her work plays a key role in turning ideas into consistent, sustainable action.

We’re so grateful for the lasting impact she’s made and the dedication she brings to our team!