As a catalyst for social sciences research in the rural South, the Southern Rural Development Center is stimulating social sciences-related research activities associated with food assistance in the region. Working in concert with the Economic Research Service, USDA, the Center has invested seed funds to support innovative, scholarly activities on this important subject, with special attention on rural people, families, and communities in the South. Projects funded through the mini-grant program are as follows:

Linked TANF and Food Stamp Program Participation Decisions: Understanding the Direct and Indirect Impacts of Welfare Reform
Bradford Mills, Gautam Hazarika, and Everett B. Peterson, Virginia Tech

n Overview

A Comparison of Food and Nutrient Intakes, Food Purchase Patterns, Level of Food Security and Selected Demographic Variables Among Food Stamp Program Recipients and Non-Recipients in South Carolina and Tennessee
Katherine Cason and Rama Radhakrishna, Clemson University
Janie Burney, Wayne Moore, Richard Pooling, and Sandra Shivers, University of Tennessee
Ruby H. Cox, Judith L. Midkiff and Kathleen Poole, Virginia Tech

n Final Report
n Executive Summary

Can Religious Congregations Satisfy Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Justice? An Assessment of Faith-Based Food Assistance Programs in Rural Mississippi
John P. Bartkowski, Helen A. Regis, and Neil R. White, Mississippi State University
Melinda N. Chow, University of Memphis

n Final Report
n Executive Summary

Food Stamp Utilization Patterns in Rural Counties in Texas: A Multilevel Analysis of the Micro- and Macro-Level Determinants of Caseload Dynamics
Steve H. Murdock, Tami Swenson and Steve White, Texas A&M University

n Final Report
n Executive Summary

Nutrient Intakes of Food Insufficient and Food Sufficient Adults in the Southern Region of the United States and the Impact of Federal Food Assistance Programs
Agnes W. Hinton, Carol L. Connell and M. Kathleen Yadrick, The University of Southern Mississippi
L. Joseph Su, Louisiana State University Medical Center

n Final Report
n Executive Summary

Food Stamp Program Exits During the Implementation of Welfare Reform Measures
Bradford Mills, Everett Peterson, Jeffrey Alwang, and Sundar Dorai-raj, Virginia Tech

n Final Report
n Executive Summary