In 2002, Richard Hayes of Carbondale, Illinois founded a community kitchen with a goal of feeding the unhoused and food insecure population in his community. Twenty-two years later, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and its network of volunteers are still working to make a positive impact in the community while keeping up with the level of need. Feed My Sheep Community Kitchen assists in meeting the needs of those who walk through its doors by serving noon meals to the public every weekday, free of cost.

(Nicole Fox)
National trends outlined in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Report show that the percentage of households experiencing food insecurity across the country has been steadily rising over the last few years, from 10.5% in 2020, to 13.5% in 2023. The report shows that in Illinois alone, approximately 872,000 households were not food secure in 2023. According to Feeding America, southern Illinois consistently experiences a disproportionate level of insecurity compared to the rest of the state. This includes Jackson County, which as of 2022 was at a food insecurity rate of 16%, significantly higher than the nationwide average of 12.8%
Additionally, the current state of the U.S. Farm Bill, which offers support to farmers, creates environmental protections, and regulates food assistance benefits, poses possible threats to food insecure communities across the country. Typically, Congress approves a new farm bill every five years, but after a one-year extension to the 2018 bill expired at the end of September, lawmakers still cannot decide on a clear path for the next version. If by the end of 2024, new legislation has not been approved, key programs would revert to “permanent law” policies dating back to the 1938 and 1949 farm bills. However, with a Republican majority in both bodies of Congress, any new bill approved before the end of the year would likely cut or freeze benefits provided by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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In the wake of fluctuating policies and an increase in hunger, Feed My Sheep hopes to provide meals to individuals whose needs surpass what they can obtain via their own means or government assistance.

May of 2023 Hicks lost his wife, who used a wheelchair. He came to Carbondale shortly afterward in July. Since then
he had been renting an apartment, but he chose not to renew his lease when it ran out in October
of this year. Hicks states that he didn’t like living there due to bad neighbors and poor
management, and would rather sleep on the street, which is what he did most days while he
had the apartment. (Nicole Fox)

portrait in the front lawn of Bethel AME Church. Hutchinson and Garner have
been traveling together for multiple years and are currently unhoused. They
both have chronic illnesses and say that living outdoors helps to manage
their symptoms. Before coming to Carbondale the two spent some time
in Morgantown, West Virginia, where they participated in a program that
provided daily work opportunities to unhoused people, and they would love
to see a similar program implemented in Carbondale. Garner states that in
his experience, starting outreach programs can be difficult because those
who have never experienced homelessness are either scared of it or simply
don’t know how to help.
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