Members of the Mid Buchanan and DeKalb FFA Chapters joined more than 725 FFA members and agricultural leaders at the Missouri State Fair on Tuesday, August 13, for the Missouri State FFA Food Insecurity Day of Service. The event is held in conjunction with the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation Drive to Feed Kids, a year-long effort to stand in the gap for the one in seven Missouri children facing food insecurity. During the eighth annual Day of Service, FFA members from 88 chapters joined agricultural leaders to pack family-sized portions of single dish meals to help neighbors in need. Together, members packed 193,084 meals for food insecure Missouri families.
In addition to meals packed by FFA members, 626 pounds of fresh produce were donated from award-winning exhibits at the Missouri FFA building. Through the Missouri Farmers Care Food
Drive $2 Tuesday at the Fair, FFA member volunteers collected food and monetary donations from fairgoers to provide more than 49,840 meals. In addition to the activities at the Missouri State Fair, Missouri FFA members statewide participated in the Drive to Feed Kids earlier this year through the Missouri Farmers Care 4-H and FFA Mini Grant Program. Between January and May, eleven chapters used matching grant resources to provide over 15,000 meals in their communities.