USF Center For The Advancement Of Food Security And Healthy Communities

06/19/2026

📊 New Statewide Poll on Food Insecurity in Florida

No Kid Hungry recently commissioned a statewide poll (conducted by Aspect Strategic) to gauge issues related to food insecurity across Florida and the impact on families.

🔹 Topline: Floridians are continuing to struggle with the cost of food.

Four in five Floridians (82%) say the cost of food is rising faster than their income, showing no relief since this time last year. As grocery costs remain high, many report tough decisions between essentials such as food, rent, mortgages, gas, or healthcare.

Here are some of the numbers:

💵 Financial Suffering
• 72% of families shared their financial situation has suffered due to rising food costs
• 50% have taken on debt just to afford food
• More than a third of families are turning to “buy now, pay later” plans to cover the cost of food

❤️ Impacts to Well-Being
• More than half of families report that their physical health (52%), mental health (54%), or social well-being (52%) has suffered over the past 12 months due to the cost of food

🤝 Strong Support for Nutrition Assistance
An overwhelming majority of Floridians support nutrition assistance programs including SNAP and Summer EBT (SUN Bucks). In fact, 96% agree that child hunger should not exist in Florida, and 92% believe ending childhood hunger should be a shared, bipartisan goal.

Together, these findings remind us how much work remains and why it matters. Read more here and find the full report linked as well. https://state.nokidhungry.org/florida/2026/05/13/rising-food-costs-push-florida-families-to-the-brink/

Florida families are doing everything they can to keep up with rising costs but for many, it’s no longer enough. Across the state, parents are making impossible decisions between groceries and other basic necessities like rent, transportation, and medical bills. While inflation may dominate headli...

06/18/2026

🔥 off the press! Check out Sarajane Smith-Escudero’s newest article!

🔗 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oa.70119

06/14/2026

We’re proud to reshare this from Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay, Inc.!

Aria Garling, a Graduate Research Assistant at our center and Director of Health and Companionship at Seniors in Service, recently had the honor of serving as keynote speaker at in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

Aria’s work bridges academic research and community well-being, which is a perfect example of Applied Anthropology in action! 🌱

06/10/2026

Did you know? When buses and trains are accessible, people are more likely to get to medical appointments, jobs, and pharmacies—reducing missed care and stress.

06/08/2026

06/02/2026

More medical schools are teaching students how to cook and use food as a tool for treating patients. It's part of a growing movement called Food Is Medicine. Think of it as a modern, research-backed version of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” https://nyti.ms/4fjWNc4

06/01/2026

05/31/2026

Here are this week's free food giveaways. It takes a village and we are honored to be a part of it 🥰 ❤️

05/28/2026

New research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found a “remarkable” increase in food insecurity among Americans, with more households reporting skipped meals, difficulty accessing food, and reliance on savings or assistance programs.

The findings also point to a strong connection between food insecurity and declining consumer confidence.

As we continue conversations around community health and well-being, this serves as an important reminder that economic trends are deeply tied to human experiences and quality of life.

Addressing food insecurity requires cross-sector collaboration, community partnerships, and sustainable support systems that center dignity and access.

There’s been a “remarkable” increase over the past few years in Americans struggling to put food on the table, and that’s likely contributing to record-low consumer sentiment readings, new Federal Reserve Bank of New York research showed Wednesday.

05/27/2026

St. Petersburg city leaders want to grow community gardens and add two to three food forests through the new Community Urban Agriculture Program. 🔗⬇️