Second Harvest Community Food Bank, serving 19 counties in northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas, is working to update the organization’s strategic plan. The first objective in the process is to listen, and is inviting members of the local communities to join.

The first series of these opportunities, the Childhood Hunger Summits, are being presented at four different times and locations in September throughout the service area. A summit will take place at the Rotary Theatre in Thompson Learning Center on the Tarkio Tech campus Friday, September 22. Registration and breakfast will begin at 7:15 a.m. and the event will be held from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. Take Tarkio Road just north of the TAC then turn left at Jenison Hall. The drive will lead you to a parking lot behind Thompson.

The event will be focused on hunger relief and support for families with children under the age of 18. The target audience con-sists of a wide range of stakeholders including Second Harvest program volunteers, school officials, other community organizations supporting families with children, donors, and others who have an interest in helping Second Harvest better serve families in need. Those interested in attending the summit are asked to RSVP as soon as possible to Kasi Norris at knorris@shcfb.org or call 816-364-3663, as seating for the event is limited.

Second Harvest is also looking at ways to include families with children who have experienced hunger and have utilized services that Second Harvest and other organizations provide. Second Harvest intends to offer incentives for families in need to help them attend these events by way of gas cards and grocery store gift cards. For more information or to help Second Harvest connect with these families, email knorris@shcfb.org.