FOOD BANKS NEED HELP

Missouri's six regional food banks took a big hit recently from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That includes the food bank in Sikeston, which serves much of Southeast Missouri.

The federal budget for the purchase of USDA food items was slashed from $80 million to $25 million annually. That translates to a 70 percent decrease in the 1995 allocation. It is a drastic reduction that will ripple across Southeast Missouri.

The Bootheel Food Bank supplies more than 200 charitable agencies in a 16-county area. Last year, those agencies distributed some 92,000 baskets of food. Local agencies served include the food pantry and senior center in Jackson, and the Bethesda Food Pantry, the Salvation Army and Red Cross in Cape Girardeau.

While reductions are needed to get the federal budget under control, these cuts seem massive and abrupt for a single program.

Missourians must approach this predicament as a challenge to support more food-giving programs, especially with the start of the holiday season just days away. Without increased help, more people in need may go hungry in the months ahead.