Over 13.5% of households in the United States are food insecure, and over 10.6% of households fall below the poverty line. The realities of these rates are families are going without adequate food, and individuals are being forced to give up their health in order to survive. We should all have the right to choose what food we consume. Whether you experience food insecurity or not, there are ways to get involved and fight hunger within your community. For those experiencing food insecurity, accessing local resources will not only support yourself but also the organizations themselves. Other ways to get involved include volunteering, donating, and joining protests, and spreading resource awareness. Getting involved in any way aids in restoring food adequacy and autonomy to your community while closing the hunger gap.
The food insecurity rate in Lawrence, KS is 16% with the poverty rate following at 17.6%. Both of these are higher than the national average. It is time to get involved in our community. Here are just some of the food assistance resources and volunteer opportunities located in Lawrence, KS.
Campus Cupboard
The Campus Cupboard is a University of Kansas founded food pantry specifically for students, staff, and faculty experiencing food insecurity. The Cupboard provides food, meal kits, hygiene items, and baby items. A point system is used upon the presentation of an official KU ID. They accept donations and volunteers.
https://studentengagement.ku.edu/campus-cupboard
Just food
Just Food is the largest food bank in Lawrence serving Douglas County claiming to serve 300-600 households daily. Their goal is to serve community hunger under the belief that receiving adequate, healthy food is a basic human right. They provide groceries, meals, hygiene items, and items for pregnant mothers and their babies. They have various volunteer roles in packing, cooking, and serving. They accept food and monetary donations.
Food not bombs
Food Not Bombs provides a once-weekly vegetarian/vegan dinner that is free to access for the public. This service is in direct protest to war, violence, poverty, and environmental destruction with the motto that “Food is a right, not a privilege”. The group often participates in local protests that align with their mission statement. Food Not Bombs has many chapters both nationally and world-wide. They allow anyone to volunteer to aid in the non-violent protest.
https://foodnotbombs.net/new_site
care Cupboard
The Care Cupboard is a local food bank run by the Heartland Community Health Center. The Cupboard claims to have served 4,996 Households (9,000 individuals) in 2022. They provide food items and other necessities. In partnership with other food banks, the HCHC also offers nutrition-based educational classes on topic such as diabetes. The pantry’s main goal is to provide people with the food and the education they need to lead a nutricious lifestyle. They accept donations of all kinds.
https://heartlandhealth.org/category/food-pantry
Other food pantries:
- Catholic Charities Food Pantry https://catholiccharitiesks.org/locations/lawrence/
- ECKAN Food Distribution https://eckan.org/services/food-pantries-kansas/
- Sunrise Project https://www.sunriseprojectks.org/
- First Baptist Church Food Pantry https://firstbaptistlawrence.com/food-pantries/