Basket Village USA
The Hunger Action fundraising campaign runs from September 7-28
September is National Hunger Month of Action, and there has never been a more critical time to stand up for people across the country and within the community of Cassville who are battling the problem of food insecurity. .
Over the past 12 months, grocery prices have climbed 13.1%, the largest annual increase since the spring of 1979, according to an August 2022 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices for nearly all groceries have risen over the past year, alongside shortages of staple foods made scarce by supplier supply chain challenges.
The impact of inflation in many areas, including food, energy and gasoline, has imposed additional hardships on low-income retirees and the disability community. A total of 21.7% of Barry County residents are seniors age 65 and older, and 10.7% of the county’s population are persons with disabilities under the age of 65. About one in three people are tied to a fixed income while facing bloated expenses. and a sharp reduction in household spending capacity.
“Rising prices have pushed this group into a struggle to survive, forced to look for every possible way to save money,” said Cassville Pantry manager Janet Mills. “Unable to afford the basics needed for a healthy lifestyle, our neighbors on fixed incomes must ration the groceries they buy, choose not to buy medicine, and eventually choose not to heat or air-condition. Their houses.
“Cassville Pantry is dedicated to relieving hunger and bringing hope to those who lack adequate amounts of healthy, nutritious food. We help families struggling with anxiety and distress because they don’t don’t have enough food at home for everyone.
A Hunger Action fundraising campaign appeal to raise $30,000 is being sponsored by Cassville Pantry September 7-28. Fundraising is key to building
What: Organize a fundraiser for Hunger Action
Why: To raise funds to support the food pantry
Plus: The cost of groceries up 13% nationwide, the support base needed to help the hungry over the next few months and fundamental to generating sponsors for the year-long effort coming.
Donations to Cassville Pantry have the potential to be multiplied so that every $1 donation is worth the equivalent of two dollars, thanks to the incentive of a $10,000 matching donation opportunity during the campaign. A matching donation of $10,000 kicks in as donations accumulate up to $10,000.
Once a donation level of $10,000 is reached, the matching donation will apply to the total and donations from previous donors will be doubled in value to $20,000. All donations are tax deductible. Individuals can donate to Cassville Pantry in person, online at cassvillepantry.com, or by sending a USPS check payable to Cassville Pantry at 800 W. 10th St. Cassville, MO 65625.
A billboard showing the progress of how the community helps “fill the basket” will be visible in front of the Pantry building throughout the fundraiser. For every $15 donation, 5 days worth of food will be provided to the hungry. Friends of the Hungry of Cassville could consider feeding needy families year-round by sponsoring monthly at $3 a day or any other amount.
“A small sacrifice, like cutting out lunch at a restaurant, not buying soda, or skipping a non-essential purchase could, if given, provide food to stop the threat of hunger for a struggling household,” Mills said. “Cassville Pantry asks the community to help fill the basket for many homes in need, such as the household of a recently retired elderly visitor. She told our volunteer at check-in, “I had the I felt like I planned my retirement well and I thought everything would be fine. I never even considered the possibility that I couldn’t live on my retirement income. Now, honestly, I don’t know if I can manage it .I’ve never been to a pantry before.I have no way to save more money by reducing my expenses further.I thought retirement would bring a season of rest, a good time to relax and enjoying life. I never anticipated it would be a time of worry and fear, just so I could have enough food to eat.” Mills said Cassville Pantry works daily to alleviate fears and anxieties of those who do not have the means to achieve be enough food to get by.
“Our goal is to offer love and encouragement as well as healthy and nutritious food aid to our neighbors in need,” she said. “The pantry welcomes a large number of new visitors. Many seem to carry a sense of urgency within them and feel panic and uncertainty about what the future holds. About 30-40% of our current customers are seniors and people with disabilities living on a fixed income. We need the community to join us in constantly meeting the ever-increasing demands on our resources.
People can call or text Janet Mills for more information at 417-846-7871.
