As the price of food and fuel continue to rise, more Alaskans are being force to decide between eating or driving to work. But local non-profits say, federal legislation could help.

The $300 billion Farm Bill has been criticized because of government subsidies that would go to already wealthy farmers. But the farmer subsidies are only a small portion of it. Two-thirds of the bill has to do with nutrition programs, like food stamps - which many Alaskans need desperately.

Mark Li is one of hundreds of hungry Alaskans who depend on the Mobile Food Pantry. Every Thursday afternoon, he lines up outside New Frontier church at 13th and E for free food.

"This helps out a lot because I couldn't depend on my food stamps," Li said.

Organizers say they now serve 198 families - 60 percent more than last year - because groceries are just too expensive.

"I can't afford it," said La Verne Jones, who says she's been getting all her food from the Mobile Food Pantry for the past five years.

Li gets $10 in food stamps every month. That almost covers a $3.50 gallon of milk, a loaf of bread for $3.89 and a dozen eggs for $2.79 - a total of $10.18. Li gets the minimum; the average food-stamp recipient gets $125 a month. More than 23,000 of Alaska's families rely on food stamps - a thousand more households than last year.

"Some people don't qualify," said Susannah Morgan, executive director of the Food Bank of Alaska. "Some people, even if they are getting that assistance, it's not sufficient to be able to feed their families, so we fill in the cracks."

The federal Farm Bill, she says, would ease the Food Bank's burden. The bill allots $10 billion extra to be provided over the next decade for nutrition programs, including food stamps.

"Can we get more food through the government programs and can we make it easier to get food stamps so clients aren't as reliant on us," Morgan said. "Having a strong Farm Bill pass right now is really critical to

our ability to feed hungry Alaskans."

President Bush has threatened to veto the "bloated" bill in its current form. A revised version will be presented to the House and Senate next week.

To contact Grace, call 907-273-3186.