Statistics indicate as many as one-quarter of Kansas’ low-income families are eligible to receive food assistance from the state, but for one reason or another, do not.
Rural areas are even more pronounced, noted Joey Hentzler with the Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization geared to assisting “vulnerable and excluded Kansans.”
There are several reasons rural areas are underserved in such cases, Hentzler contends.
First is pride. It takes a mighty big gulp for some heads of household to admit they don’t earn enough money to feed their families. “And there’s a stigma involved with that,” he said.
Second is logistics, particularly in places like Iola, which recently saw its welfare office close its doors.
“If you can’t put food on your table, there’s a good chance you can’t put gas in your car,” Hentzler said. As a cost-cutting measure the state merged Iola’s DCF (Department of Children and Families) office with one in Chanute.
WITH THAT in mind, Kansas Appleseed is teaming with Thrive Allen County and the Kansas Alliance for Wellness for a first-of-its-kind food assistance application clinic Saturday at Iola’s Bass Community Building, 505 N. Buckeye St.
The event is geared for those in need of assistance, as well as those who would like to help others.
A one-hour training session kicks off the event at 9 a.m., with citizen advocates discussing the issues of hunger and poverty, and how it affects rural communities such as those in Allen County and elsewhere in southeast Kansas.
Then, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., those who might be in need of assistance are welcome to stop by and discuss their options with the newly trained volunteers. The volunteers will work in shifts to serve any walk-ins.
The volunteer advocates will help walk potential recipients through the application process from start to finish to see if they qualify for benefits from the Kansas Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), more commonly referred to as its food stamps benefit. Successful applicants receive an average food benefit of $247 a month. Roughly 254,000 Kansans or 1 in 11, receive SNAP benefits. Of those, 75 percent have children, and half are considered working families.
A SIMILAR training session/clinic is planned the following weekend in Pittsburg.
Both are considered a pilot program with Kansas Appleseed, Hentzler said. Those results will help organizers determine if similar events are warranted across the state.
Iola and Allen County were targeted for the pilot program because of the DCF office’s closing. Those interested in volunteering may contact Hentzler at (785) 580-3875 or [email protected].
