Alabama Arise

The cost of groceries is up this summer. The news comes as Gulf Coast food banks say they’re feeding a record number of hungry families. Many of those individuals also get by with the help of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. Formerly called food stamps. As you may have heard, Congress recently voted to shift a greater burden of SNAP funding to the states. In the first of a two part report on food insecurity and food access, here’s takes a look at what those changes to SNAP might mean for Alabama’s hungriest residents.

A new Alabama law known as SB63 goes into effect on June first. It’s a mandatory DNA and fingerprint collection law for undocumented non-citizens. The Alabama Immigrant Advocacy Coalition says it invites racial profiling.

Fifty-Six organizations across Alabama penned a letter to congress asking them to reject tax cuts for the wealthy and said lawmakers should focus on helping working-class families and their children.

A statewide, member-led nonprofit organization advancing public policies to improve the lives of Alabamians who are marginalized by poverty is recommending a plan of action for local lawmakers. The 2025 roadmap for change in Alabama from Alabama Arise has expanding Medicaid and ending the state sales tax on groceries as top goals on the legislative agenda.

One of the last remaining birthing units in southern Alabama is closing. The small, nonprofit Grove Hill Memorial Hospital in Clarke County will discontinue its labor and delivery services on Friday, Aug. 16 at the end of the business day.

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.

Mobile’s Mardi Gras Park was awash in red, white, and blue as the non-profit groups “Alabama Forward,” “Shake The Field,” “Transform Alabama” and others held a get-out-the-vote event ahead of the November election. The rally called “Democracy: Now Or Never,” came as Vice President Kamala Harris reportedly held one on interviews with the front runners to be her running mate against Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.

Nonprofit organizations Alabama Arise and Alabama Values have partnered to launch “Think Big Alabama.” The series is a four-part advocacy training program designed to empower underserved and under-represented communities in Alabama.

The deadline is approaching to register for a new activism education initiative developed by two nonprofits in the state. Alabama Arise and Alabama Values are seeking volunteers for “Think Big Alabama.”

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.