Growing food access through community action

What began as an idea to bring people together over a community meal has grown into a countywide effort that provides food, strengthens community partnerships and creates opportunities for young people to serve their neighbors. In 2026, the “Soup, There It Is” initiative served or delivered 450 meals, collected more than 2,500 pounds of food for local families experiencing food insecurity and expanded outreach to underserved communities across St. Francois County.

“Soup, There It Is” was created through a partnership between University of Missouri Extension in St. Francois County and Bismarck United Methodist Church. The first chicken and dumplings meal was served in February 2025, providing 255 meals to local residents, including deliveries to individuals and families who lacked transportation.

The program continued to grow in 2026 despite not receiving grant funding. “The loss of grant support became an opportunity to strengthen local partnerships and demonstrate the power of community collaboration,” said MU Extension community health specialist Sarah Barks.

Community members, businesses, organizations and county offices contributed more than $1,300 in donations, along with significant in-kind support. Local businesses provided food and supplies, while the St. Francois County Commissioners helped coordinate a countywide office food drive competition. Through those combined efforts, 4-H members and community partners collected more than 2,500 pounds of nonperishable food to support local individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

The generosity of local supporters also made it possible to launch a related initiative, “Soup, Here We Are,” an outreach effort that brought food resources directly to an underserved lake community. Forty-eight families received meal kits containing ingredients, recipes and the tools needed to prepare two nutritious meals at home. Families were also able to select additional donated food items based on their household needs. In total, more than 230 pounds of food were distributed through the effort.

“Youth leadership has remained a central part of the program’s success,” said Kayce Amsden, MU Extension 4-H youth program associate. 4-H members played an active role in collecting donations, preparing food, packing meals and meal kits, and delivering food to families and local organizations. “Their involvement demonstrates how efforts to address food insecurity can also provide meaningful opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills, serve others, and make a positive impact in their communities.”

The county’s strong participation also earned St. Francois County a second-place finish in the 2026 Feeding Missouri campaign, a statewide 4-H service initiative that supports local food pantries and hunger-relief efforts.

“Soup, There It Is” demonstrates what can happen when community relationships are transformed into meaningful action, Barks says. What started with a shared meal now connects residents, businesses, local government, faith communities and youth volunteers in a common effort to improve food access. Those partnerships are already creating opportunities for future initiatives, including expanded meal-kit programming through Missouri Eats, which helps communities improve access to healthy, locally sourced foods.