Many Mid-Missourians struggle with hunger this holiday season

Hunger continues to be an issue in Mid-Missouri as we enter this holiday season.

Members of Feeding America conducted a study showing one in six adults and one in five children in Boone County don’t have access to nutritious food on a regular basis.

However, The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri said they operate one of the largest pantries in Columbia.

Shannon Keeton, a Boone County resident, said she and her mother stopped by the pantry because the price of food is beyond her budget.

“It’s not just the need for food, it’s just the absolute price of food, because there’s people who can’t afford food. I mean, there’s homeless people who barely get a good meal,” Keeton said.

The Central Pantry in Columbia serves 10,000 to 12,000 people monthly.

Last year, they distributed more than 6.5 million pounds of food to Boone County residents alone.