Reuniting with family members after being apart should mean second chances, shared meals and hope for the future. For many parents leaving a recovery program, life after can bring new hurdles — from limited resources to the basic challenges of putting food on the table. In Lyon County, Farm Bureau leaders saw the need and stepped in to help.

Through a grant from Kansas Farm Bureau’s (KFB) Foundation for Agriculture, county Farm Bureaus can request funds to support food insecurity projects in their communities. With a Farm Bureau in every county in Kansas, these grants can impact every corner of our state. The End Hunger grants have provided more than $200,000 to projects that impact Kansans on local levels since they began in 2020. The projects range from school support programs, partnerships with local food banks or pantries, providing meals to families facing financial hardship and summer initiatives.

“The End Hunger grants allow our county Farm Bureaus to react to needs they see within their communities,” says Shannon Martin, assistant director of KFB’s Foundation for Agriculture and agricultural education. “Projects like Lyon County Farm Bureau’s show how local leaders can make a difference by ensuring families have access to the food and tools they need.”

Intentional Impact

For Emma Miller, a Lyon County Farm Bureau board member of three years, the idea of helping families who are trying to improve their lives was never just about serving food. It was about meeting people where they were.

“Our biggest goal was making sure the service met people who needed it,” Miller says. “It wasn’t just about a couple of us wanting to make meals one afternoon — it was about connecting resources to make a real difference.”

With grant funds, Lyon County Farm Bureau partnered with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education and Radical Life. Families connected to the Radical Life program are parents working to reunite with their children after a recovery program. These individuals were invited to take part in the Lyon County Farm Bureau effort. Each week, participants gathered to share a meal together before learning practical skills like meal

planning, budgeting and safe food preparation. To make the lessons last beyond the classes, families were also given basic kitchen tools and recipe cards so they could recreate the meals at home.

“We decided to do skillet meals since a lot of people might not have an oven, but they’ll probably have a stovetop,” Miller explains. “It was fun to see adults get so excited about making a meal. They were grateful just to take something home to their families”.

Meals that Matter

Families who participated received food, recipe cards and essential kitchen tools to continue the lessons at home. Many expressed their appreciation through thank you notes, while others began talking about meal prepping together beyond the program.

The project also expanded awareness of Farm Bureau’s mission in Lyon County. A recent membership event drew nearly 300 attendees, an indication of the impact programs like these are making. Miller says the community is noticing the work Lyon County Farm Bureau is doing to improve its neighbors.

“It was exciting to help community members in need in such tangible way,” Miller says. “We’ve seen how much this matters, and even if the path forward looks different, we want to continue finding ways to meet people where they are.”

Programs like Lyon County Farm Bureau’s are making real impacts in communities across Kansas. If you’re interested in helping End Hunger in Kansas, visit www.kfb.org/endhunger.