Jefferson County Hunger Dialogue planned Thursday

A Jefferson County Hunger Dialogue is scheduled for 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday at the Fairfield Hy-Vee Food and Drug Store Club Room.

A Hunger Dialogue is an inclusive platform for open communication about food issues in the community, explained Dee Sandquist, a dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Fairfield Hy-Vee. Participants will learn about the face of hunger and will have the opportunity to discuss community strengths and challenges, and then, based on that discussion, brainstorm action steps to address the needs.

?The food system is complex,? said Sandquist. ?Everyone has a place at the table during this discussion, and we will need your insight, input and expertise to come up with real solutions.?

One in eight adults and one in five children across the state of Iowa do not know where their next meal is coming from.

?You may be surprised to learn that these numbers are accurate for Jefferson County as well, making it highly likely that some of your friends, neighbors or co-workers go to bed hungry more often than anyone should,? said Sandquist.

A Map the Meal Gap from Feeding America at http://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2014/child/iowa/county/jefferson shows that 2,290 people in Jefferson County are food insecure, and of that number, 19.9 percent are children.

Fairfield Hy-Vee Food and Drug Store is working with the Hunger-Free Iowa Initiative to organize the Jefferson County Hunger Dialogue.

For information, call Sandquist at 472-4119 or email Sallie Myers of the Hunger-Free Iowa Initiative at communityresource@outreachprogram.org.