The Shawnee Development Council Food Pantry in Karnak, Ill., is partnering with Reaching Rural Veterans (RRV), a Purdue University-based effort that connects low-income, homeless and low-resource rural veterans in Union County with affordable housing, health care and other resources.
Reaching Rural Veterans events take place on the third Tuesday of every month, with the next event scheduled for June 15 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CDT).
Through support from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Purdue’s Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) is collaborating on Reaching Rural Veterans in the state with University of Illinois Extension offices and faith-based food pantries in Union and four other counties. Each food pantry is receiving grants, education and assistance to help them mobilize local resources for military and veteran families.
Roughly one-third of all veterans live in rural areas and are often less likely to have access to needed services than those in urban areas. Reaching Rural Veterans events provide opportunities to thank veterans for their service while also helping them find needed resources close to home, said Rena Sterrett, senior program administration specialist with MFRI.
To identify counties that could most benefit from the initiative, Sterrett and her colleagues at MFRI worked with representatives of Illinois Extension. After choosing five rural counties with relatively high numbers of veterans, Extension staff also located potential partner food pantries.
“Illinois Extension was a valuable partner in helping target counties that could most benefit from the program because of their intimate knowledge of the state,” Sterrett said.
As part of the grant process, MFRI representatives are educating food pantry staff and volunteers about the strengths and struggles of military and veteran families and helping them recruit military-connected organizations to participate in pantry events. Ultimately, Sterrett said, she hopes to reach 50 veterans in each of the participating pantries — a goal that will require coordination among area partners.
“Addressing a community’s needs for food, shelter and employment is an important step in establishing stronger bonds between local organizations and the military and veteran populations,” Sterrett said.
Participating organizations in Saline County include the Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, University of Illinois Extension, MERS Missouri Goodwill Industries, and the Southern Illinois Coalition for the Homeless.
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About the Military Family Research Institute
Using data-driven solutions to real-world issues, MFRI works closely with collaborators to improve the lives of veterans and military families.
About University of Illinois Extension
The flagship outreach effort of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Extension offers educational programs to residents of all of Illinois’ 102 counties and beyond. Extension provides practical education you can trust to help people, businesses and communities solve problems, develop skills, and build a better future.
Writer: Kristen Cavallo
Media contact: Angela Roberts, akroberts@purdue.edu
Source: Rena Sterrett, rsterret@purdue.edu