Foundation Journal

A warehouse worker at Harvesters was loading items for a semi-truckload delivery of food to Wetmore, Kansas, where 150 people are expected in this rural community west of Atchison, which initiated a conversation about rural poverty and hunger. Wetmore is located in Nemaha County, where per capita income is 10% less than the state average but poverty level is slightly better than state poverty. Hunger in the county as indicated by the 2012 Kansas Atlas  shows less food insecurity than the state average. Why would the town's people need emergency food assistance? Income levels have dropped in the county since the recession, the nearest food pantry is 14 miles away in Holton, and more people in rural areas receive SNAP benefits compared to poor people in urban areas  but the benefits only support so much of a family's needs. Gas prices in Kansas have doubled in 5 years , but the increases in health insurance and higher education may be the two most important factors in why...

Harvesters food bank in Kansas City has been around for 30 years now and the organization acknowledged 25 years of service and accomplishments of the president Karen Haren during an all-staff meeting today. Karen attributed the success and growth of the food bank to "staying on mission and the great staff and volunteers." The ceremony reflected on the increase in food distributed over the 25 years. In 1986, 4 million pounds of food was distributed and $100,000 were raised to purchase food. In 2010, 35 million pounds of food was distributed and $3 million was raised for food purchase. This represents a nine-fold increase in food distributed in and around Kansas City over the 25 years. The large increase in the numbers of food distributed is bittersweet for most people in the food assistance business because an increase in food distribution means they are provided relief yet the demand still grows. It's a sad commentary on this most wealthiest nation that has so many wo...

While enjoying a bluegrass/rockabilly musical performance with friends Saturday evening, I had a conversation with a friendly couple from Putnam County in north Missouri. It did not take long before the woman outlined how the federal government was responsible for the downturn in the US economy, as well as for over-regulating farming. In short, she blamed the federal government for all the ills of society. The outspoken woman described the couple's difficulty in maintaining a trucking business, mentioning the economic conditions and excessive government regulations as the cause of their troubles. They also discussed the economic conditions for residents in Unionville, Missouri, a rural town with a population of 3000. I shared how my wife's family had relied on income from a small diary farm and row crops, while both her parents worked full-time jobs in meat-packing and state mental health facilities. They quickly blamed the federal government for programs that prevented farme...

Last week the Interdisciplinary Center for Food Security at the University of Missouri in Columbia released its updated Missouri Hunger Atlas . The atlas provides a county-by-county statistical accounting of the levels of hunger in Missouri. The atlas reflects trends documented in news reports and national hunger studies, like the recent report in the Kansas City Star that shows food stamp use in Kansas increasing 20% in a single year from 2008 to 2009. However, given the significant drop in jobs and income in Missouri over the past few years, the report underscores a possibly chronic, long-term hunger problem. The report does not investigate how to create jobs that will pay sustaining wages; the purpose of the atlas is to show the level of food insecurity and the response to meet the need. Given the drastic decline in local property taxes, decrease in education funding, and drop in job skills training programs, it's difficult to maintain an optimistic view for working families...