K-State Research and Extension Douglas County

Food Security

Ginny Barnard
Executive Director
LiveWell Douglas County

Developing a Community Plan to Reduce Food Insecurity and Hunger in Douglas County

Within the past year, food pantries in Douglas County have noticed a significant drop in food and monetary donations, but the number of families and individuals needing assistance to feed themselves has not decreased.grocery basket in the middle of a grocery aisle on the floor

Food insecurity has a considerable impact on health and well-being. For example, hunger and limited consumption of healthy food has an impact on child development, health, and behavior. For adults, the impact of food insecurity is realized when people must choose between eating and other costs, such as paying rent, buying medicine, and transportation.

With the increased cost of living, many folks are struggling to make ends meet. Food insecurity may be a long term or temporary problem that is influenced by a number of factors, including, but not limited to: income, employment, ethnicity, and disability.

To begin building a community plan to reduce food insecurity and hunger in Douglas County, LiveWell Douglas County and the Douglas County Food Policy Council are working with Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health to develop strategies around food security for the next Community Health Plan. The first stakeholder meeting will be on Wed, Dec 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. This meeting is open to all. Snacks and childcare, with supervised age-appropriate activities for children will be provided in the same building (separate room) as the meeting. Please scan the QR code to register or go to bit.ly/470Fllg