To provide food to local pantries, extend farmer’s markets, offer additional funds for the DUFB program, and provide locally raised meat.
Leader
Kelli Frazell
Location
1 N Washington Iola, KS 66749
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted Allen County in many ways, but access to healthy foods is one of the major concerns. The eastern part of the county and our local domestic violence shelter, specifically, have been particularly impacted. Other organizations have tackled the food insecurities through the food pantries in our 2 largest towns, Humboldt and Iola, but now we need to focus on the smaller towns such as LaHarpe, Gas, Moran, Mildred, Elsmore, Savonburg, and the shelter to ensure all Allen County residents have the opportunity for healthy foods, including meat, as we are seeing the potential for meat shortages in our local grocery stores.
With the discontinuation of the Feeding America program locally, there has been a struggle to provide food assistance to residents in need in the above-mentioned communities. Being able to provide additional food items to these, offering extended farmer’s markets in the smaller communities, offering additional funds for the Double Up Food Bucks program, and providing locally raised, purchased and butchered meat will greatly help the residents in Allen County who need it most.
Timeline:
May 19-26: Build a crowdfunding team that will request donations from stakeholders
May 26-June 15: Raise funds
June 15-June 19: Work with IOBY to get funds sent to Allen County
June- November: Work with existing food pantries in Allen County (primarily in Eastern Allen County) to replenish food, deliver food to residents in need, offer additional farmers markets, add to DUFB program, purchase local beef and/or pork for processing and provide meat to local pantries and food distributions, and work with volunteers and stakeholders to identify additional needs.
Food access is always a topic in Allen County. We’ve seen the need grow since this pandemic of COVID-19, even if it is only temporary. Our resources have been dwindling as the need is rising. Many households have lost jobs, income has been decreased, and lack of transportation keeps residents from the ability to secure food for their families.