Glenn Poshard, a former SIU president, was fed on surplus food from the Town Supervisor growing up. While his father thought Poshard would be embarrassed that he couldn’t put food on the table himself, he saw his father’s willingness to ask for help as something to be admired. 

Not only is Poshard a former SIU president, but also a former Illinois Senator for the 59th District and former U.S. congressman representing southern Illinois. He and his wife, Jo Poshard, also founded the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children.

The Poshard Foundation operates out of John A. Logan College in Carterville, where Poshard has previously done readings of poetry to assist food pantries. Their mission focuses on assisting children in tough situations, wherever they may be. 

His past experiences serving the community have led him to create the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children with his wife, he said, inspiring him to continue serving the community well past his years in office.

“We have a lot of small towns throughout Southern Illinois that no longer have grocery stores and many of those families and communities are having to depend upon food pantries for their food,” Poshard said.

Because of these food deserts, people have to drive long distances to acquire basic necessities, namely food — even people who could usually afford it.

“We decided that as part of our work we needed to help the local food pantries survive,” he said. 

Poshard will be reading poetry for the Saluki Food Pantry on Monday, Sept. 29th in Student Ballroom B. 

Poshard has prepared an hour-long reading for the event starting at 11 a.m. and running until noon. He said he was inspired by the works of Robert Frost and Ted Kosier and even wrote some poetry of his own that will be included in the reading.

“Poems help us with understanding the great questions of life: Who am I? Where am I going? What’s my purpose in life? What decision should I make,” he said.

Poshard recounted a story behind one of his poems titled “Hunger,” which is one of the many original poems he has written and will read at the event. 

When discussing “Hunger,” he attributed his compulsion to help to his upbringing, where he said, “I grew up in a very poor area. My father only had one arm, so it was difficult for him to find work…”

The plight of food insecurity is closely related to why this event is so important to Poshard. He has a history of growing up poor in a small Illinois town. 

He said that there was one time where he was waiting at the kitchen table for his father to come home from the Township Supervisor with surplus food, which was the main inspiration for his poem “Hunger”.

He said that when his father returned that night and put all the surplus food in front of his son on the kitchen table, “he could not meet my eyes because he was so embarrassed for having to depend on government help to feed his children.”

He spoke of the stigma of embarrassment and humiliation that exists for those who have to rely on others for help with these things. The Township Supervisor looked down on his father for being unable to provide on his own, Poshard said.

People with disabilities, like Poshard’s father, are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. They are given a smaller pool of opportunities for work, and beyond that, face belittling and embarrassment from the people that are meant to help them, Poshard said.

Poshard said he was not embarrassed of his father. He knew there was nothing to be ashamed of in relying on support from the community and the government. He knew that it required courage to go through what his father had. He said he admired his father’s courage to go through humiliation to help feed his kids. 

Donations are not required to attend the event, though they are appreciated in the form of checks and non-perishables. These donations will help the Saluki Food Pantry and be offered to students who need them.

For further guidance on donations to the Saluki Food Pantry, there is a list available for reference at https://studentcenter.siu.edu/services/food-pantry/donation.php

The event will be held in Student Center Ballroom B on Monday, Sept. 29 from 11 a.m. to noon.

“I’m just hopeful that folks will come out and be as generous as they can and help our student pantry because a lot of students need help,” Poshard said.

“They’re no different than anyone else.”

Staff Reporter Orion Wolf can be reached at owolf@dailyegyptian.com or orionwolf6 on Instagram

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