The rising cost of food, gas, and power is hitting Mississippians where it hurts, tight in the pocketbook.

But could you make a choice among gas to get to work, food for your family, or paying the electric bill?

Some families make that decision every month.

"You do what you can. You're thankful for what you can get, but you do what you can with what you have," said Jackson resident, Brigitte Olugbala.

That's how Olugbala viewed her life on food stamps. She says they never paid for enough, and now that her family doesn't need the help anymore, she sympathizes with those in her neighborhood just trying to survive.

"It is a shame I can go to the corner store and get a bag of chips cheaper than some nutritional food and some people opt to do that because it's cheaper," said Olugbala. "This is real."

And while gas and grocery prices are through the roof, food stamps are adjusted slightly every October. But they just don't go as far as they once did.

The Mississippi Department of Human Services says food stamps are calculated by the number of people in a family and income of that family.

In fiscal year 2007, DHS assisted the federal government to give out over $400 million in assistance.

DHS and Mississippi ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, say there are still many Mississippians eligible who don't apply.

"Mississippi is one of the states ranked about 60 percent, which is about five points below the national average," said Sonja Murphy, a representative of Mississippi ACORN.

Murphy said her groups hopes to change that. It wants to partner with DHS to get the word out, helping those who need it to get food stamps, especially in these tough economic times.

"If the outreach to the communities were done promptly, to inform the low income families that this resource is here and they need to apply for it," Murphy said.

The department of human services is asking those families that may be eligible for food stamps to start the application process by calling 1-800-948-4060.