St. Joseph event pairs food drive with signature gathering for Missouri ballot initiatives

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- Residents will have the chance to support a local food bank and let their voices be heard in Jefferson City as part of a dual food drive-signature gathering event this Saturday at the Rolling Hills Library.

A coalition of local justice groups, including Persisterhood of St. Joseph, is encouraging residents to participate in the dual event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, in support of Second Harvest Food Bank and three separate statewide ballot initiatives.

The event will be held in the Rolling Hill Library's upper story parking lot at 1906 N. Belt Highway.

Participants can drive through the parking lot anytime between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. with non-perishable food donations to keep the Second Harvest Food Bank operating throughout northwest Missouri and northeast Kansas.

Items needed most include:

• Canned proteins (tuna, chicken, beans & beef)

• Fruits and juices (fruit cups, juice, applesauce)

• PB&J (chunky or smooth, any flavor jelly)

• Soups and stews (beef, chicken noodle, veggie)

• Breakfast (cereal, oatmeal, granola, cereal bars)

• Pasta (mac n cheese, pasta noodle, pasta sauce)

• Rice (brown and white)

Volunteers will also be present in the parking lot on Saturday to collect signatures and answer questions for three Missouri ballot initiatives, which include:

Missouri Right 2 Education

• This would amend the state’s constitution to require the general assembly to provide “uniform, high quality free public education.” Missouri presently is 49th in the country for state funding of public education, and its teachers’ starting salaries are 49th in the country.

People Not Politicians

• Would require a state-wide vote to approve the gerrymandered Congressional redistricting map the Missouri’s legislature super majority passed and the governor signed into law this fall, at the request of President Trump–an unprecedented and perhaps illegal redrawing of Congressional boundaries mid-decade (Lawsuits filed by the state’s NAACP and the ACLU to strike down the law are pending) Respect MO Voters

Respect Mo Voters

• Thi would add an amendment to the state’s constitution banning the state’s legislature from overturning initiatives that voters have already passed, keep the initiative process in Missouri intact; and require ballot language to be truthful rather than deceptive and/or confusing. In recent years, successful state-wide petition votes have overturned the super majority legislature’s “right to work” law, raised the minimum wage, made abortions legal, approved the expansion of Medicare, and legalized marijuana.

“When those in power hoard resources, and then use our government to punish people – as is happening at the state and national levels – we feel called to answer with collective care and resistance,” said Dr. Jane Frick, Persisterhood-St. Joseph facilitator, in a press release announcing the event.

Groups sponsoring Saturday’s drive-through and petition gathering besides Persisterhood include the League of Women Voters of Northwest Missouri, the Buchanan County Central Democratic Committee, the Buchanan County Women’s Democratic Club, the United Democrats of Northwest Missouri, EM-PAC, and Ecumenical Eco-Justice of St. Joseph.