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.

Local children are headed back to school! Unfortunately, some children will come to class at a disadvantage. If their parents can’t fill their plates with healthy meals, kids have trouble concentrating, face behavioral problems, illness and more.

Tyler is one of about 40 students at Warrensburg Middle School in Johnson County, Mo., who receive BackSnacks every Friday. “Some people have less food at home than others,” Tyler says, looking down at his BackSnack filled with healthy food. “These bags are really important.”

The past four years, teacher Melissa Taylor has inspired hundreds of Liberty North High School students to take up the fight against hunger. She began taking about 30 National Honor Society students to sort and repackage food at Harvesters’ warehouse, and the school’s efforts have grown from there.

Things had been increasingly difficult for Sharon and her teenage daughter, Jada, who has severe autism. First Jada’s dad had a stroke, which meant he lost his income, and she lost his support along with her health insurance. Then Jada turned 18, which meant Sharon and Jada lost their benefits and have to reapply for food assistance.

Cristine is hands-on in everything in her life. Because of the high cost of childcare, she’s been staying home and taking care of her kids. Now that her daughter, Genesis, 5, is about to start school, she can’t wait to get back to work. But in the meantime, she’s found a way to both give and receive help.