Have a blast and help others at the same time with a party at Harvesters. 

The national anti-hunger nonprofit, Feeding America, announced new data on May 2, that reveals food insecurity exists in every county in Harvesters’ service area, and while the food insecurity rate of 13.9 percent for this region is down slightly from last year (14.4%), it remains higher than the national average of 12.3 percent and is higher than pre-recession numbers.

Tiana’s a busy young woman. A junior at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, she’s taking a full load of courses and working two jobs — one at the campus rec center and a weekend job near her hometown.

Five years ago, Pam Schmidt thought it would do her three children good to volunteer with Harvesters. She brought them to the warehouse on a Saturday afternoon, and the family sorted food together. Pam and her kids, now ages 12, 14 and 21, had such a good time, they started volunteering monthly. Word spread and other families in their neighborhood joined in. These days, a group of about 20 people come to give their time. “It just sort of blossomed,” Pam says.

Valerie never expected to struggle. She and her husband, Eric, worked full-time at the same company and could easily provide for themselves and their teenage son. But nearly two years ago, during a sweep of layoffs, Valerie and Eric both lost their jobs.

After a decade as an educator, Jillian Haynes knows how vital regular meals are to kids’ growth, development and learning. As senior recreation director at Hillcrest Community Center in Kansas City, Mo., she’s able to provide girls and boys with a healthy afternoon snack each weekday through Harvesters’ Kids Cafe program.

The holidays are here! We look forward to reconnecting with family and friends and giving thanks for this year’s blessings. During this special season, it’s wonderful to see the great things your partnership makes possible for hungry families and seniors in our region.