Reports show 1 in 4 children face hunger in Southeast Missouri
SOUTHEAST Mo. (KBSI) – According to the Map the Meal Gap study food insecurity rates have risen.
Locally, the report reveals that 22.4% of children in Southeast Missouri live in food-insecure households.
Southeast Missouri Food Bank, which serves 16 counties, is part of the Feeding America network of more than 200 food banks, 22 statewide associations, and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs across the country.
In SEMO Food Bank’s service, child food insecurity is as high as 33.2%, or 1 in 3 children, in Pemiscot County, which has the highest rates of childhood hunger in the state.
SEMO foodbank is run off of donations and increases mobile food distribution during the summer when kids are at home and eating from home more.
According to a study by Map the Meal Gap 1 in 4 children in Southeast Missouri are facing food insecurity. Joey Keys is the President and CEO of the Southeast Missouri food bank. He shares what they are doing to combat the issue.
“Right now, foodbanks, pantries, our industries really do require community support at the community level its very important to support your food bank” says Keys. “Whether it’s a food drive, monetary donations or volunteering it really is a community driven need and it’s really important for us to work together and help make sure children are served and children do get the nutritional food they need to thrive.”
According to Feeding America several counties across the Southeast Missouri region see more than 20% of children lacking access to nutritious meals and that number is expected to rise during the summer when kids eat all their meals at home.
“Typically, there are more challenges for food insecurity with children in the summer because they don’t receive those school lunches that can be provided every day” says Keys. “It also maybe increases the financial strain on families when they have to provide more meals at home in the summers. So, we do sometimes see an uptick in children needing food in the summertime.”
Keys says they increase their food distribution rates in the summertime because of this. The SEMO food bank covers the 5 most food insecure counties in the state and keys says this can be challenging. He says they heavily rely on the community support to be able to feed those in need.
“Donating to the food bank it stays local and goes to the cause intended. 95% of all donations go to the cause where we are making sure that communities are fed and children specifically” says Keys.
To find out how you can get assistance or help donate to help those in need you can go to their webpage.
