KDI 경제정보센터

Rural towns can be great places for families and “where everybody knows your name.” They are often described as easygoing communities where it’s safe to live and raise children. However, they can lack resources to assist families in creating an equitable quality of life.

One challenge that was worsening even before the COVID-19 pandemic has been food insecurity in rural communities. Food insecurity, defined as not having enough to eat “sometimes” or “often,” was roughly similar across the states in the Eighth Federal Reserve District,1 with the exception of Mississippi, as of late December 2020. Six of the seven states in the Eighth District experience food insecurity rates between 12% and 16%, while Mississippi faces rates at 19%.

Different organizations in the St. Louis Fed’s District have come up with various ways to help address food insecurity. One example is the effort that started with an organization in Drew, Miss. Founded in 2009, We2gether Creating Change, a not-for-profit organization, sought to address that issue and others within its town. The mission of We2gether is “to be a change agent in the transformation of poor and low income communities from perceived places of poverty, low skills, and despair to places of prosperity, abundant skills, and hope,” according to the organization’s website.