Ashland community rallies to help families in need as SNAP benefits run out

An estimated 225 households in Southern Boone County did not receive anticipated SNAP benefits Nov. 1 amid the government shutdown.

Organizations and community members across Ashland and Hartsburg are stepping up to offer increased support to families in need this season.

Southern Boone Buddy Pack Program

In the Southern Boone School District, 341 students are eligible to receive free and reduced lunch prices. Student eligibility is determined by factors such as household income or enrollment in government assistance programs, including SNAP.

District public relations director Matt Sharp said the district does not anticipate any interruption to student meal service during the ongoing federal government shutdown.

“No student will ever be turned away from a school meal, regardless of their account balance,” Sharp said. “Ensuring that our students are well-fed and ready to learn remains a top priority for Southern Boone.”

Sharp said that the district’s Buddy Pack program, which helps families and students who need additional food on weekends and holidays, is “expanding the Moser’s voucher portion of the program for participating Buddy Pack families to help cover additional specific grocery needs.”

Program manager Krista Moore said the monthly vouchers sent home with students normally include cheese, bread, milk and eggs. She said an expanded voucher is typically sent to help cover longer weekends due to holidays or during times of need, including the loss of SNAP benefits.

Moore said the expanded voucher includes the same items as the monthly voucher but also includes cereal, juice, fruit or veggies and peanut butter. In addition, the program provides families $15 to go toward meat in months having holidays.

Helping Hands Southern Boone

Since 2023, the Helping Hands Free Store has served Southern Boone County families in need of various resources, including food, clothing, books and furniture.

The store has a no-questions-asked policy. Helping Hands invites families to come in and get what they need.

The store is open from 2 to 4 p.m. on Mondays and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Kelley McCord coordinates the Helping Hands Thanksgiving Food Drive. For nine years, she has volunteered her time each November to assemble 25 to 30 baskets for families who would otherwise not have a full Thanksgiving meal. McCord said she is “striving to hit 40 to 50” baskets this year with the disruption of SNAP benefits

Ashland Mayor Dorise Slinker donated several ready-to-eat products to the store on Nov. 5. He said that in this time of need, “ we need to help the unfortunate in every way we can.”

Slinker highlighted McCord’s hard work over the years in the community and mentioned that shelf-stable, read-to-eat groceries and toiletries are some products he believes the store will always need.

McCord invites the community to Moser’s to make a food donation from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 15 for the Thanksgiving baskets. Helping Hands has a Venmo account to receive monetary donations from anyone unable to attend the Moser’s event.

The baskets will include traditional Thanksgiving meal items, such as frozen turkeys and hams, stuffing mix, potatoes, cranberry sauce and pies.

Photographer Tracy Lyons is offering mini photo sessions in exchange for food donations to Helping Hands. Lyons will be taking photos from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 16 at the Hartsburg American Legion building and from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 23 at Junebug Photography in Ashland.

The mini sessions are 15 minutes long, and Lyons is offering five digital images in exchange for a donation of non-perishable food. She said all food collected will help Ashland and Hartsburg families in need.

The Food Bank Mobile Market at Ashland Baptist Church

The Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri holds a mobile food bank market on the third Tuesday of each month from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Ashland Baptist Church. The next mobile market will be on Nov. 18.

The Food Bank requests that recipients arrive slightly early to avoid traffic issues and bring something to carry their groceries, such as laundry baskets or bags. The market does not require paperwork to verify any information.

The Food Bank’s Food Locator page online offers an interactive map where people can search for organizations, programs and locations offering food and support near them.