Harvesters aims to combat long-term food insecurity through Food+ program [Video]

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In addition to providing emergency food assistance, Harvesters works to address long-term food insecurity and health outcomes.

Through the Food+ program, Harvesters partners with Kansas City-area hospitals and county health departments.

The program specifically focuses on combatting food insecurity, which can often lead to chronic illnesses.

University Health is one of the health care partners involved.

Just about every day, Jesse Jasnowski comes to the hospital’s food pantry for a free sack lunch.

“The cost of groceries have gone up tremendously over the past couple years,” he said. “So, it’s not a whole lot of food, but it’s a snack, you know.”

Jasnowski said he is never turned away and never leaves hungry.

Susan Oweti and her staff started the food pantry in 2020 to help patients and their families.

The pantry started out serving 20 households a day. Now, Oweti said the operation sees over …