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Did you know people living in rural areas are more likely to experience hunger than in urban areas? Individuals and families in rural communities grapple with issues that decrease their access to nutritious foods, such as few to no nearby grocery stores, longer commutes to work and lack of reliable transportation. On top of that, neighbors across southwest Missouri are currently dealing with high childcare, housing and food costs. Phyllis Sprenkle, board member of the Sheldon Revitalization Association and member of the community betterment group, said that the town of Sheldon, Missouri checks all of those boxes.

“It really gets rural,” she shared. “It’s farmland and some timber. A large part of our population is low-income elderly. Everybody drives to a job, so it’s more of a commuter community. That definitely increases their need for something here in town if they don’t have reliable transportation.”

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of options to access food in town. Until recently, Sheldon residents had to drive to neighboring cities to buy groceries, and fresh produce is still hard to find nearby. For people without reliable transportation, grocery shopping can be a challenge, and access to healthier foods like produce and meat is even further out of reach.

All of these factors play into the statistic that our neighbors in rural towns are more likely to experience hunger. But when neighbors are in need in Sheldon, the community bands together to lift them up. With a population of about 530 people, groups in the community began to recognize that there was a big need for food assistance in their very rural area. That’s when city leaders, community betterment and the Sheldon Revitalization Association reached out to Ozarks Food Harvest to make meals happen for their neighbors.

Phyllis shared that Ozarks Food Harvest’s Mobile Food Pantry program is very important to the community. Once a month, kind Sheldon volunteers come together when Ozarks Food Harvest brings a truck-load of produce, protein and other ingredients. Volunteers then load their neighbors’ cars with the food to help make ends meet and ensure their neighbors have enough to eat. Ozarks Food Harvest also supplies boxes of food for Sheldon seniors through the Senior Food Program, which provides USDA foods to seniors based on their income.

“It was something our people really needed,” said Phyllis. “We started with the senior boxes, but then we told [Ozarks Food Harvest] we would be thrilled to have the Mobile Food Pantry, too. I saw those senior box applications and the very limited income some of our people were living on. I know that they could be barely making it.”

Phyllis knew they were making a difference when food recipients told volunteers how much they appreciated the help, and she has even received some hand-written letters of gratitude. Phyllis continued, “Oh gosh, it’s been a wonderful connection. Just, I don’t know what we’d do without [Ozarks Food Harvest]. I really don’t know what these people would do. It has been a real bonus for our community.”

The Mobile Food Pantry has been so beneficial in Sheldon that nearby towns even began asking how Phyllis and the city were making it happen. Phyllis connected them with Ozarks Food Harvest, and The Food Bank now operates monthly Mobile Food Pantries in Walker and Deerfield.

Thank you to the generous Sheldon residents who made the connection with Ozarks Food Harvest and volunteer every month to help their neighbors facing hunger. You’re the reason we’re able to increase equitable access to nutritious food in rural communities.