New collective aims to connect those struggling with food insecurity with proper resources

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - 106,000 South Dakotans are experiencing food insecurity including more than 24 thousand children according to the South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative.

Additionally, roughly 11% of South Dakota's more than 900,000 people are struggling with food insecurity. Rural parts of the state struggle with accessibility, affordability and knowledge of healthy foods. South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative is trying to tackle the issue by connecting those in need, with the resources necessary to improve their lives.

"The strategy we're working with now is doing a landscape assessment of organizations and programs with policies that address these issues already, and creating a resource hub with all of those programs and educational materials. So it's like taking the best of what everyone is working on and bringing it to one hub," said South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative member Tim Meagher.

In a state where cancer and heart disease are the two leading causes of death, access to and education about nutritious food, is essential in saving lives. One of the difficulties Meagher observed throughout recent years is the amount of different cultures coming to a state that can't address the needs.

"One of the schools here at Hawthorne in Sioux Falls is there's 100 different languages there, and it's 100% poverty. So I think what's being asked of South Dakota right now, and maybe that's the hard shift, but it's also the opportunity is we're just not a few city folks and farmers. We're a complete dynamic group of people of all walks of life and cultures," Meagher said.

Meagher hopes the collaboration will create an open dialogue about food insecurity to best connect people with the resources they need.