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LEE'S SUMMIT, MO -
A new national study from a hunger advocacy group reports that nearly one out of every eight people in the U.S. now rely on food assistance programs, and here in the metro that means that food pantries have had to open in places that they've never been before, like a middle school in Lee's Summit.
According to the group "Feeding America," 37 million Americans are now on some sort of food assistance program.
"It's at shocking levels, that right here in our community there's about 295,000 people within a year that need food assistance," said Karen Haren, president and CEO of Harvesters.
That means that the super-sized pantry at Harvesters has never been more busy, but the reach of the need has stretched all the way to Bernard Campbell Middle School in Lee's Summit, where school officials recognized the need and opened up a food pantry of their own.
"A lot of people have a hard time believing that in the suburbs we'd have an increased need in kids meeting their basic needs and their families struggling, but we have seen an increase in that over the last couple of years," said Vicki Bullard, a school counselor at Campbell Middle School.
Students in need at the school get backpacks full of food to take home - two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners as well as some snacks to keep them going through the weekend.
"Many of them take care of themselves or maybe take care of younger siblings, and this is a way that they can take care of those needs," said Bullard.
School officials say that about 20 percent of the students at Campbell Middle School need some sort of food assistance. Bullard says that she looks forward to the day when the need won't be as great as it is now, but she says that she still plans on making the backroom pantry a permanent fixture at the school.
"It's kind of like once you've really gotten something going, gotten some good momentum, there will always probably be a need for it in some way," said Bullard.
According to the group "Feeding America," 37 million Americans are now on some sort of food assistance program.
"It's at shocking levels, that right here in our community there's about 295,000 people within a year that need food assistance," said Karen Haren, president and CEO of Harvesters.
That means that the super-sized pantry at Harvesters has never been more busy, but the reach of the need has stretched all the way to Bernard Campbell Middle School in Lee's Summit, where school officials recognized the need and opened up a food pantry of their own.
"A lot of people have a hard time believing that in the suburbs we'd have an increased need in kids meeting their basic needs and their families struggling, but we have seen an increase in that over the last couple of years," said Vicki Bullard, a school counselor at Campbell Middle School.
Students in need at the school get backpacks full of food to take home - two breakfasts, two lunches and two dinners as well as some snacks to keep them going through the weekend.
"Many of them take care of themselves or maybe take care of younger siblings, and this is a way that they can take care of those needs," said Bullard.
School officials say that about 20 percent of the students at Campbell Middle School need some sort of food assistance. Bullard says that she looks forward to the day when the need won't be as great as it is now, but she says that she still plans on making the backroom pantry a permanent fixture at the school.
"It's kind of like once you've really gotten something going, gotten some good momentum, there will always probably be a need for it in some way," said Bullard.
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