The holiday season is a time so many people look forward to, whether it's the festive decorations, celebrating with family or favorite comfort foods.

But for many families, the harsh reality of food insecurity and financial hardship make this time of year challenging.

According to a report by the USDA Economic Research Service, 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure at least some of the time during 2023. That's up from 12.8% the year prior.

Lewis Clarke, director of the New York State Department of Health Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program, spoke to our Camille DeLongis about food insecurity during the holidays.

Parents want to make the holidays special for their children and families, and that oftentimes comes with a price tag when it comes to gifts and decorations.

That is hard to do when you're already scraping by to put food on the table. But there are resources available for families to help take the burden off.