The faces of hunger might not be what you picture in your head. It’s the student sitting next to your child in school. It’s the senior who worked their entire life and has seen their savings depleted faster than they ever could’ve imagined. It could be a co-worker making impossible choices between paying for an electric bill or buying medicine.
In our Kansas City region, ONE in EIGHT of our neighbors are at risk of hunger and may not know where their next meal will come from. For kids, that number is ONE in SIX.
September is Hunger Action Month. It’s an important time to step back and reflect on the very real challenges our neighbors are facing in putting food on the table. Through shelters, community kitchens, pantries and mobile food distributions, United Way’s collective efforts provided more than a half-million meals last year to help meet that need.
Thank you to each of these neighbors for sharing their stories about the impact of hunger in their lives.
LESLIE: Leslie is a single mom, with a 14-year-old daughter. She’s been in the workforce since she was a teenager herself. But this summer, she was unexpectedly let go from her job, putting an even deeper strain on her household’s already tight financial situation.
“It is really stressful,” she said. “The cost of living is so high. It’s been really tough for food stamps to come even close to covering the bill for the groceries we need.”
She’s never looked to help from food pantries before, but United Way Impact 100 partners have now become a vital resource to ensuring she and her daughter can access a variety of shelf-stable and fresh foods, including the vegetables they love.
“The pantry gives fresh, good food,” said Leslie. “It means a whole lot. Without other people willing to help, where would we be?”
DANNY: Danny recently heard the six letter word from his doctors that many of us dread: cancer. He’s currently battling prostate cancer and dealing with challenges in getting consistent hours at work.
“I’ve got limited means, bills are tight. So I have to juggle,” Danny said.
Danny just happened to see a mobile food pantry driving through the community. He’d never been before. But it could not have come at a better time.
“Food is expensive. I figured this would save me some money this month,” he shared. “It gives me hope and shows there are people still out there caring for us. It’s a blessing.”
ELIZABETH: Like many, Elizabeth’s family experienced a wave of unexpected hardships during the pandemic. Her sons-in-law lost jobs, making it much harder for them to support her teenage grandchildren, who had big appetites to nourish their growing bodies.
“I had known about local food distributions and that they were saving food from going into landfills,” she said. “So I thought, ‘Well this is nothing to be ashamed about. This is a good thing for me and my family.’”
Elizabeth shared that access to fresh produce has become especially important for her, too, as she ages.
“Good food helps you stay healthy,” she said.
JOHN: Standing in the kitchen behind a stove is where John felt most comfortable for more than two decades, working as a cook in a number of local restaurants. But debilitating arthritis prompted him to retire. He now needs a cane to get around and has the help of a home health nurse. High healthcare, utility and food costs have made living on a fixed income even harder.
“I’m managing each month,” John said. “But every little bit of assistance helps a great deal.”
He enjoys the rice, beans, and fresh items like lettuce he can often find at the pantry, which helps stretch the dollars he has to spend at the grocery store a little further.
“I can’t thank you enough for all the good in your hearts to be out here serving the community,” he said.
DANNY: Danny is self-employed and says business has been kind of slow lately. But he’s been hesitant to raise prices for his customers.
“I know everyone’s having a hard time,” he said.
And that includes him.
“I don’t have a lot of money and food is expensive. So being able to come to a United Way Impact 100 partner drive-through food pantry and receive fresh foods makes a meaningful difference.
“The fresh vegetables are amazing,” Danny said. “Thank you. It sure helps a lot of people. It definitely helps me.”
KARIN: Being the sole provide for a family is no easy task. With inflation, Karin’s come to rely on food pantries to ensure her fridge and pantry are stocked.
“It helps us to have two to three meals a day and stretch that for the month,” she said. “And that’s the same for other folks like us, who don’t necessarily qualify for government assistance, but still don’t earn enough to have all the resources they need.”
Of those seeking food assistance, 57-percent are white, 16-percent are Black, 20-percent are Hispanic, the rest a combination of other racial & ethnic groups.
Hunger doesn’t have just one face. And neither do the people who can help us combat the problem. Join the WaymakerTM movement. Together, we can make a meaningful difference to ensure our community has access to a stable supply of nutritious food. Give if you are able. Advocate by sharing stories like these. Volunteer your time with United Way and our partners: unitedwaygkc.org/community-partners-directory