Food security in Magoffin County is a big issue for many of our citizens.  The county suffers from the highest unemployment rate in the state.  In addition to unemployment, there is a shortage of food sources because of the closing of 4 of the 6 major food stores in the county.  

The food insecurity rate is 23.9% compared to the state's average of 15.5%.  Many children in the county rely on the food that they are served at school, as their main food source.  Covid-19 has created problems for access to that food, even though the schools have prepared and delivered meals on a regular basis.  

A local food pantry in the county has been meeting the needs of many of those who are hungry even before the Covid-19 pandemic became a problem.  Water Into Wine, is a church-sponsored organization which has risen to the forefront of providing the much needed food for many families in the community.  They have asked the extension service to partner with them to assist in distributing food to those in need. The mission calls regularly, asking our office to bring our van or truck to pick up food supplies that they have received.  By doing so, we are able to bring the food items into a different area of the county, and eliminate travel time and distance for many of the recipients.  

Truckloads of milk, produce, pasta, breads, cereals, and other staples are brought to the pantry and there are distribution days set aside for folks who are in need to come and pick up the items.  Oftentimes, when we pick up the food items, we are able to go to housing projects, and to shut-ins homes, who would otherwise be unable to take advantage of the free food.  This provides us with the opportunity to introduce cooperative extension to people who have never heard of us before and create interest in some of the free programs that we have available here. 

Our partnership and networking with this mission has opened up many new possibilities for us to serve our community and county.  We can assist them in providing food for those in need, while spreading information about nutritional education, and SNAP recipes providing ways to stretch the food budget, that we otherwise may not have been able to share. Our partnership has been a winning combination for all those involved.