Hunger Stops Here: Stronger Together: Young And Old Collaborate In Successful Service
By: Emma Alexander -
Five FFA chapters, one 4-H club and a county Farm Bureau put their hands larger service through a collaborative project in partnership with Missouri Farmers Care’s Drive to Feed Kids. The Drive to Feed Kids (The Drive) is more than just a food drive; it serves as a catalyst for relationships that facilitate opportunities for young and old alike to serve. Eighty youth and adult participants worked elbow to elbow to pack nearly 12,000 meals that served ten food security projects across #Agri-Ready Designated Webster County and beyond.
A Youth-Adult Collaboration
Only geography connected members of the Fordland FFA, Glendale FFA, Logan-Rogersville FFA, Mansfield FFA, Mighty Eagles 4-H Club and Seymour FFA before they chose to team up with the Webster County Farm Bureau during ‘Hunger Stops Here’. Fun is the best description of how participants from 5 to 85 learned to communicate and work together on eight food assembly tables. Older members share wisdom, FFA members share strength, and younger 4-H members share energy. Hunger Stops Here represented collaborative neighborhood leadership at its best.
“The purpose of Hunger Stops Here is so our young people experience that they can make a difference in their community. They can do a lot of good if all they have is their helping hands,” shares event organizer, Emma Alexander. “Our participants can turn to the relationships they developed during this activity to team up as neighbors in the future.”
Results. In celebration of National FFA Week, #4-HFeedingMissouri, and Celebrate Agriculture: Thank a Farmer Week, Hunger Stops Here distributed more than 1,000 meals to each of the following food security projects: Marshfield Food Pantry, Elkland Food Pantry, Niangua Food Pantry, ‘The Branch’ at Glendale, King’s Food Pantry-Seymour, Care to Learn-Fordland, Safe Haven Now-Fordland, and Safe Haven Now-Rogersville.
A Unique Networking Opportunity
Each youth organization received a special-colored tee shirt. Workstations labeled with animal stickers guided participants to meet new friends. As they packed fortified meals of pasta and red sauce, team members switched workstations to meet more new friends. The project wrapped up with lunch for everyone prepared by Farm Bureau leaders, courtesy of generous donations.
“Hunger Stops Here was a very well organized and impactful service project for area youth and members of Farm Bureau. It was a great reminder that in a rural setting neighboring may look different, but you can positively impact families in your community with the gift of your time,” according to David Burton, Community Development Specialist and MU Extension Professional, project supporter and attendee.
Foundational Partners
The University of Missouri Extension’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) inspired this event, which is a Special Project for the Webster County Farm Bureau Board this year. Each collaborating partner group monetarily invested to purchase meal packing supplies. University of Missouri Extension, and both the Webster and Greene County MU Extension Councils, provided financial resources.
Survey Says - Most youths noted that the hair nets were their least favorite part of the event. Meeting new friends was the best part of the event. Many asked to pack more meals!
Financial Resources
Each 4-H and FFA group received a Drive to Feed Kids grant, funded by the Missouri Farmers Care Foundation. This is the fifth year the Foundation has provided grants. Grants awarded in 2025 are supporting local food security efforts led by Missouri FFA, 4-H, collegiate, and Career and Technical Education chapters that encourage and enable youth to identify local community needs, craft solutions, and execute results.
“It is inspiring to see this next generation engaged, compassionate, and willing to make a difference when there is need in their local communities,” says Cyndi Young, director of Brownfield and Learfield Ag, a presenting sponsor of the Drive.
Local Support
Thanks and commendations to these local businesses for their support of Hunger Stops Here: Worsham Law Firm-Rogersville, CopperTop Legacy Agriculture-Fordland, Apple Market-Rogersville, Valley View Ag Services-Niangua, Zimmerman Meats-Marshfield, Hepko Realty-Seymour, Dr. Bill Messick, and Gary & Sandy Letterman.
More About the Drive
One in seven Missouri children face hunger and the Drive to Feed Kids offers every Missourian an opportunity to make a difference. The program annually raises resources and awareness to address needs faced by food insecure families. The Drive raised more than 711,000 meals in 2024 and has raised over 13 million meals since 2017. Companies, organizations, and individuals are invited to join the Drive. Details and a giving link are found at mofarmerscare.com/drive/. Donations 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.
