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Oscar Mayer employees fight growing hunger problem

A new study shows there are more Quad City kids and families going hungry these days. The Map the Meal Gap 2015 report shows that nearly 13% of residents in a 2...

A new study shows there are more Quad City kids and families going hungry these days.

The Map the Meal Gap 2015 report shows that nearly 13% of residents in a 22-county area struggle with food issues.

In between the clatter of can sorting at the River Bend Foodbank, there's frustration.

"Sometimes you just never feel like you can do enough," said Adam Friedrichsen.

Hunger silently hurt his family.

"I've seen the impact of it, and it's hard to watch," he recalled.

Now, these Kraft-Oscar Mayer employees are doing something about it.

At work, they design new ways to make food products.

On Wednesday, they're volunteering to find better ways to feed the hungry at the foodbank.

"They want to make sure that we're giving back to the community, not just making products for the store shelves," he said.

The study concludes that hunger is worsening locally.  That translates to more than a million missed meals across the region.

"It's folks who never imagined they'd be missing meals, who now are in line at the food pantry," said Mike Miller, executive director of the River Bend Foodbank.

It's really a complex problem.

More local families are hungry due to the economy, underemployment, even broken families.

Demand for food assistance is up 20% at The Center's Davenport pantry.  Each box that Deacon Dan Huber loads will help to feed a thousand people every month.

He says that doesn't begin to meet the demand.

"If you're a single parent trying to raise kids, a $10-per-hour job just isn't enough," he said.

The study emphasizes that hunger is a year-round problem that's getting worse.

"Hunger isn't just an overseas problem or a third world problem," Miller concluded.  "It's right here at home."

Helping out, for the Oscar Mayer staffers, is a no-brainer.

"It's hard," Friedrichsen said.  "You wish you could do more.  You want to do everything you can."

They're trying to defeat hunger for families, one can at a time.

River Bend Foodbank is hosting Extreme Kids Helping Kids on Saturday, April 18.  There's free admission from 9 a.m until Noon.

You'll find the foodbank at 4010 Kimmel Drive in Davenport.

Check out riverbendfoodbank.org for a complete look at the hunger study.

 

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