food insecurity

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.

Missouri and Kansas lawmakers are trying to eliminate junk food purchases from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. But food accessadvocates worry that restricting SNAP will make it harder for recipients.

Farms and non-profits around Kansas City have recently lost, or could lose, grant funding from the USDA under the Trump Administration. Despite facing financial uncertainty, urban growers plan to continue fighting food insecurity.

As Kansas Citians begin a holiday season of feasting, a rising number of people don’t know where or when their next meal will be. Plus: The Ogallala aquifer is a critical source of water in western Kansas, and it’s running dry.

Kansas City community kitchens are seeing higher demand as food prices remain high and COVID-19 assistance disappears. The food bank Harvesters is focusing on rescuing food waste as one way to shore up its supplies as demand rises, and donations are down.

The Missouri Department of Conservation is encouraging deer hunters to donate meat through its Share the Harvest program.

Kansas and Missouri police departments have paid thousands of dollars for an aggressive and discredited officer training. Plus: How some universities are tackling the issue of food insecurity among their students.

Research shows that college students are going hungry at a higher rate than the U.S. population as a whole. Some campuses are taking alternative approaches to tackling student hunger.

Recent data shows food inflation is slowing down. But with prices still much higher than they were a few years ago, grocery bills are getting a spotlight on the campaign trail.

Military members and their families are especially vulnerable to food insecurity, but Kansas City groups are providing a safety net. Plus: Missouri hemp producers are stuck in confusion after the delay of Gov. Mike Parson's ban on hemp-derived edibles.

Students in metro school districts owe thousands more dollars in school lunch debt as families continue to financially recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In some districts, debt is even higher than last year.