To What Degree Does Food Assistance Help Poor Households Acquire Enough Food? A Joint Examination of Public and Private Sources of Food Assistance

Abstract

ABSTRACT We study the efficacy of public and private food assistance in alleviating food shortages among poor households by jointly considering the effects of all major forms of domestic food assistance–the Food Stamp Program, WIC, and food pantries. The analyses are based on detailed data collected in 1993 from 398 low-income households in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. We examine the effect each of the widely available forms of food assistance has on helping poor households acquire enough resources potentially to meet basic nutritional requirements. Research findings suggest that compared with other forms of food assistance, the receipt of a significant amount in food stamps has a much greater impact on whether a household attains at least the Thrifty Food Plan than the receipt of food from a food pantry or through the WIC program.