Three McGowan grantees discuss their work addressing food insecurity in their respective communities.
The statistics for food insecurity in the U.S. are dire. According to the Food Research & Action Center, about one in seven households experiences lack of access to an affordable, nutritious diet. Feeding America states that 34 million people are food insecure in the United States. The USDA tracked as food insecurity rose between 2022 and 2023—13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2023, 12.8% in 2022. These numbers present a picture of crisis, so who is working to change this trajectory? We spoke with three foodbanks, all located in different regions of the U.S., about what they’re doing to address hunger and need in their community. These McGowan grantees did not echo the hopelessness the numbers above might suggest, but instead, through their deeply dedicated work and passion for change, painted a new image of care, compassion, dignity, and relief for those who need help.
Eagle Valley Community Foundation, The Community Market
A huge gap exists between those that come to Eagle Valley, Colorado, as vacationers or second homeowners and those who live in the community year-round. Many year-round residents are suffering, living only one adverse situation away from food insecurity. “To live here, one job is not enough, and a crisis can always happen. A large medical bill or loss of a job could knock someone down,” shares Melina Valsecia, EVCF Executive Director. “That’s where we often come in. We can provide about $500 worth of food once a week, which is a huge help.”
The cost of food everywhere is rising, and residents in the mountains in Colorado are being hit particularly hard. The county is home to about 55,000 full-time residents, 30% of which are immigrants (the state averages is about 15%). “There is a huge international community, not only from South America, but also from Europe,” explains Valsecia. “Our demographic is very international. When you walk down the valley, you listen to many other languages.” But those many languages can also become a barrier, and EVCF has worked hard to overcome the cultural challenges, along with others such as transportation, to help give access to health and wellness to county residents.
EVCF’s The Community Market (TCM) is working to improve food insecurity across the Eagle River Valley through two locations in Gypsum and Edwards, as well as through pop-up mobile markets and comprehensive outreach programs. TCM’s various markets offer a wide selection of fresh produce, dairy, meats, bread, and shelf-stable items and serve 3,400 individuals each week (59% of food distributed by EVCM is fresh produce). TCM also has a food rescue program and in the last year, rescued nearly 600,000 pounds of food from grocers, more than 32,000 pounds from farmers, and 10,000 pounds from local restaurants; it’s important to EVCF that they’re also taking care of the environmental impact of the food waste when possible.
“For us, our staff, and also our board of directors, human dignity is key for the work we do. We respect everybody as a human being,” says Valsecia, “That’s part of why our food pantry doesn’t require a lot of paperwork. People can just come with a little card that we scan, and then they get to shop for what they need. We don’t dictate, we don’t give boxes. We are intentional about creating community and a feeling of belonging. We do cooking classes too. We respect our clients, and we work hard to build that trust. We understand that food is a right, and we welcome people with a smile.”
Jewish Family Services Food Pantry, KC
Much like EVCF, Jewish Family Services in Kansas City doesn’t require much paperwork, including income verification, from clients. This became key during the COVID pandemic because companies like AMC Theatres, headquartered in the area, shut down overnight, causing sudden food insecurity for many people in Kansas and Missouri—individuals who had secure jobs in management just days before. “These people couldn’t afford to feed their families,” explains Melanie Hayden, senior director of development at JFSKC. “If you looked at their paperwork, they wouldn’t have been eligible for anything. We feel grateful to be able to help people who really couldn’t get help anywhere else.”
JFSKC recognizes that food insecurity is a symptom of a larger issue and not the root cause. The JFS Food Pantry, which has locations in Overland Park, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, was the answer to the community’s growing need for food assistance. Although JFS has been in Kansas City for 124 years, the food pantry is only 13 years old—it’s celebrating its bar mitzvah this year. In the past year, it has more than doubled the number of families served each month to more than 800 families; 25% of the people served are children under the age of 18. It also provides food for cats and dogs, so pet owners don’t have to forgo eating in order to keep their much-loved pets fed.
“Last year, we had 295 volunteers who donated about 8,200 hours of service,” says Hayden. “We consider ourselves a full-service food pantry. When you come to JFS, the idea is not just to get whatever you could get from a local food bank, we’re committed to having fresh produce, dietarily appropriate proteins, and shelf staples like rice and beans and canned tomatoes. We also provide paper products, cleaning products, personal care that, you know, SNAP doesn’t cover.”
JFS Food Pantry is an appointment-only pantry so that everyone who enters the pantry works with a social worker as well. “We’ve been doing mental healthcare for low-income people who wouldn’t be able to get it otherwise since the 1950s, which was pretty revolutionary at the time,” Hayden says. “And if we can’t provide the help our clients need, we usually can refer them to someone who can. I think JFS is well known in the community as a connector organization. We know nobody can do it all alone.”
Pro Action, HOPE Center Keuka Food Pantry
When clients or customers walk into Pro Action’s HOPE Center, they begin central intake at a front window. Their demographic and income information is put it into the system, which allows Pro Action to give accurate internal referrals. It also allows Pro Action to see client’s eligibility for other programs. “We can say, ‘Hey, we know you’re here for food today, but do you know you qualify for WIC or SNAP?’ We’re able to make those connections, and then we pair folks with either one of our employees or a volunteer and they get a shopping cart,” says Zack Housworth, chief operations officer at Pro Action of Steuben and Yates, Inc.
Next, clients are given a number for their cart based on the number of people living in their home. “They shop for the equivalent of five days’ worth of food. Everything is clearly marked, so when people start walking through, they can easily find the canned and jarred protein, the peanut butter, canned tuna, salmon, things like that,” furthers Housworth. “We consider it free shopping with guidance.”
HOPE Center is open 15 hours a week, spread out over three days, and feeds anyone who comes through their doors. They are the primary food pantry for Yates County, but if someone drives in from Geneva or from Bath and they’re hungry, HOPE Center gives them food. “We don’t turn people away,” Housworth explains. “We don’t turn people away based on income. The majority of our customers are low-income, but we also serve a fair amount of seniors as well, and we also help out the Mennonite community in Yates County, which is very large.” During 2023, HOPE Center distributed 2,282 boxes of food, over 11,400 meals, and 7,945 boxes of fresh and perishable food.
“We always say that we’d love to work ourselves out of a job, if possible,” shares Housworth. “Sometimes we have cases where you’ll get a nice note or you’ll get a donation check six months from the last offer of assistance from someone who shares that you’d helped them when they were down on their luck and really needed some help. They write with gratitude about how we hooked them up with the local workforce office who helped them get a job, and now they want to give something back. It’s deeply meaningful for us to witness these full-circle moments.”