Drive To Feed Kids: More Than Just Meals – Creating a Community of Leaders in Action
By: Emma Alexander -
The pouring rain did not dampen the bright spirit of service in the first-floor rotunda of the Missouri Capitol as legislators and agriculture leaders worked side by side to pack over 12,000 meals to help Missourians in need. The event, hosted by Missouri Governor and First Lady Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, was an element of the year-long Missouri Farmers Care Foundation’s Drive to Feed Kids (the Drive), which is supported by Brownfield Ag News and ADM. This event was more than just a food drive and its impact goes beyond supplying meals for Missourians in need.
Leadership Through Action
Governor Mike Kehoe called legislators to action during his January State of the State address. “Missouri farmers give back, too. Claudia and I are proud to participate in the Drive to Feed Kids each year at the Fair, held by Missouri Farmers Care. Since 2017, this event has provided over 13 million meals to Missouri children and families. In partnership with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri Farmers Care is bringing this meal packing event to the State Capitol this session. I hope to see legislators join us in this effort to fight hunger in our state.”
On April 17th, his vision came to life. “I challenged you to show up today and you showed up! Thank you!” says Governor Mike Kehoe with a big smile. This Capitol packing event is an example of big work made light by many hands. One goal of the Drive is to inspire youth, leaders, and agriculture groups to collaboratively serve their local communities. This event, Drive grants, and the Missouri FFA Day of Service during the State Fair are catalysts of this inspiration, that lead others across the state to repeat packing activities on their local scale. Participants packed thousands of vegetable and rice soup meals in under two hours. The meal included Martin Rice, grown in #Agri-Ready Stoddard County in Missouri’s bootheel.
“It was fun!” comments John Black, Representative for Missouri’s 129th district, as he describes how the event was a great opportunity for House members to have the same goal and serve together.
A Bridge Between Rural and Urban
Governor Mike Kehoe and First Lady Claudia Kehoe worked elbow to elbow with legislators from every region of the state. As they packed, Gov. Kehoe, a first-generation farmer, Representative Yoland Fountain Henderson, from Missouri’s 58th District (St. Louis County), and Representative Donna Barnes, from Missouri’s 28th district (Raytown/Kansas City), talked about how the event proved their common interest: serving Missourians in need. Hunger is not just a rural problem or just an urban problem. Childhood hunger affects every county in the state. One in seven Missouri children face hunger, while one in three kids face food insecurity in some areas. The Drive offers every Missourian an opportunity to make a difference.
Creating Conversations and Community
Drive to Feed Kids packing events bring people together from different walks of life and provide opportunities to begin conversations about what Missourians value in common, such as serving others. The halls of Missouri’s Capitol vibrated with voices sharing, connecting, and building relationships. The seasoned leaders in the Missouri’s legislature, up-and-coming collegiate interns, and visiting elementary students watching service in action, made the meal packing an embodiment of the community spirit of Missourians uniting to create more than just meals to feed hungry neighbors.
DTFK By The Numbers: The Drive raised more than 711,000 meals in 2024. Over the past eight years, Missouri agriculture has donated more than 13 million meals to food insecure Missourians in every county through the Drive.
All donations support the Drive and the work of Feeding Missouri network food banks who work daily to alleviate hunger in every Missouri county and the city of St. Louis.
“As a current intern at the State Capitol and a former intern with Missouri Farmers Care, this special event brought things full circle for me,” shares Karson Calvin. ”Working alongside leaders to fight food insecurity reminds me why I’m so passionate about agriculture and public service. It was a powerful day that shows how much we accomplish when we come together with a common cause.”
Join the Drive community! Companies, organizations, and individuals are invited to support the grants for local projects, Hogs for Hunger, FFA Day of Service meal packing and other efforts of the Feeding Missouri network of food banks who work daily to alleviate hunger. The Drive's year-long effort includes meal packing, hog processing and activities to collect food and raise resources. Details and a giving link are found at mofarmerscare.com/drive/.
