Inland Rice sees purpose in feeding Southeast Missouri families
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
SIKESTON, Mo. (KBSI) — For Inland Rice Company, helping feed local families is more than a donation. Megan Schneider says it reflects the reason the Southeast Missouri company exists.
Inland Rice donated enough rice to help feed approximately 510 families through Southeast Missouri Food Bank’s Harvesting Hope event Tuesday.
“Honestly, I find that this — the giving part — is our biggest purpose in our company,” Schneider said. “And if we’re not giving, I don’t feel like we are fulfilling what God’s called us to do.”
Schneider said Inland Rice quickly agreed to participate after USA Rice reached out about the effort.
The company joined Heritage Farms, Martin Farms and Riceland in donating a combined 12,300 pounds of rice. The contribution will provide the equivalent of more than 10,000 meals across the food bank’s 16-county service area.
Schneider said seeing the donation reach families in the same region where the rice is grown and processed reinforced the company’s mission.
“Events like this just make it more real,” Schneider said. “This is why we have our business, is to feed people. I mean, rice is to feed people.”
Southeast Missouri Food Bank Communications Manager Heather Collier said support from agricultural producers is especially meaningful because farmers continue giving despite challenges within their own industry.
“I grew up in an agricultural community, and seeing farmers come together, even when times are hard for them, to support people that they know need help is amazing,” Collier said.
The food bank serves about 70,000 people each month. Collier said food insecurity is not always visible and can affect the person sitting nearby or a family struggling to cover its monthly expenses.
The Harvesting Hope event also launched Hunger Action Month and marked Gov. Mike Kehoe’s first visit to Southeast Missouri Food Bank.
For Schneider, the size of the region’s need shows why contributions from individual farmers and companies matter.
“I find it’s very important to just be a little part of something very big,” Schneider said.
More information is available at semofoodbank.org.
