food pantry

President Donald Trump’s "Big, Beautiful Bill" shifts more Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program costs to states. Lawmakers and officials in support of the new measure say it will cut down on waste and fraud, but food advocates warn it could mean fewer people receiving the benefit.

Cuts to federal food aid have already reduced the food available at area food pantries and meal sites. If SNAP gets hit too, nonprofits worry they won’t be able to keep up with demand.

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.

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.

According to a recent report, 19% of responding Missouri military-connected families said they were facing low or very low food security. Some Kansas City organizations are working so members of the military community don’t have to choose between the expenses of day-to-day life and going hungry.

Jennifer and Adam Parker started Tiny Pantry Times, a free pantry in their front yard, at the height of the pandemic. Three years later, the Johnson County couple is providing 18,000 pounds of food and other supplies a month, and are working to move to a larger space.

During the pandemic, SNAP rules were relaxed so students weren’t required to participate in state or federally funded work programs such as work-study. Those temporary pandemic rules allowed 3 million more students to qualify for food stamps, but now many are no longer eligible.

Pete’s Garden, founded in 2019 by Tamara Weber, partners with caterers, restaurants and food service organizations to save unserved, prepared food that would otherwise be thrown out. Last year, they distributed 65,000 meals to families in Kansas City.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wants to accelerate the phaseout of the state’s food sales tax. That could have the greatest impact on people with low incomes. But Republican lawmakers may not feel the need to do it.

The holiday season already has enough stress, and inflation is only adding more. We put together a list of resources if you find yourself in need of assistance, or if you're in a position to help out.