food insecurity

Employees at Missouri's food banks said the government shutdown's halt of food benefits could put a strain on their organizations, which have already seen an increase in demand this year.

The Trump administration in late March slashed $500 million that had already been allocated to food aid nationwide through the Emergency Food Assistance Program. That canceled 124 scheduled deliveries to Missouri food banks.

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's office is requesting to change the state's SNAP program and restrict certain food and beverages. The governor's office says the changes would promote healthier food, but it may add headaches for customers and grocers.

When consumers get their utility bills every month, it’s not always clear why energy costs as much as it does — and there are usually no other options. Why? The upfront investment and barriers to entry create natural energy industry monopolies. Plus: Learn why local fruits and veggies are often more expensive than produce shipped thousands of miles.

Researchers and grocery stores say the Republican-backed law, which will reduce federal food benefits, only makes it harder for markets to survive because the profit margins are already so low.

Changes to federal food assistance could cause thousands of Kansans to lose some or all of their benefits. The consequences for low-income families will depend now, more than ever, on state lawmakers. Plus: When you're shopping the produce section of a grocery store, you probably want to buy local — but that food probably traveled a long way to get there.

State lawmakers must soon decide whether to cover the extra costs to provide food assistance. If they don’t, food banks and pantries alone can’t make up the difference.

The program partners with schools and communities to teach people of all ages about proper nutrition, physical activity and how to effectively use money from food stamps. Missouri received more than $11 million for SNAP-Ed this year.

Summer break can be difficult for students who rely on schools for free meals, mental health services and other support. Kansas City area schools are trying to bridge that gap.

President Trump's tax-cut bill, which was narrowly approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, could dramatically cut funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kansas City advocates say this would harm the nearly 850,000 residents between Missouri and Kansas that depend on food benefits.

Free school lunch is a life-changing resource for kids in Kansas City. But for many families, potential federal budget cuts threaten to take the vital service away.

School nutrition teams worry their jobs could get harder as the Trump administration floats budget cuts that could gut their ability to offer free meals, even as they face rising prices for already-costly food and equipment.