An infographic on summer lunch

As we mentioned on Rural Minnesota Radio last week, the Center has created an infographic on the summer meals program for children who receive free and reduced-price lunches during the school year. While we were putting this illustrated fact sheet together, we learned a couple of interesting things: first, hunger isn’t just an urban issue. We noted plenty of rural counties with percentages as high as or higher than those of Hennepin and Ramsey counties. Also, we learned that the Minnesota Department of Education administers an extensive summer food program, but rural areas have some unique challenges when it comes to making the program work there.

This infographic is titled The Rural Reality, and it’s the first in what we hope will be several infographics we create this year to show the reality of life in rural Minnesota, good, bad and neutral. It’s all part of our effort this year to help rural Minnesota find its voice. As the Blandin Foundation’s recent Rural Pulse survey found, even metro residents believe rural Minnesota is being left out of many statewide discussions.

So check back periodically and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to find out when we release further research and pieces like The Rural Reality.

To see The Rural Reality infographic, “Who Feeds Our Children During the Summer?” or our report “Finding the Voice of Rural Minnesota,” visit our home page and look for the links.

 

Summer lunch

Who feeds our children during the summer? The May 29 Rural Minnesota Radio program talks about just this question. The Center is releasing a mini-research piece this week on what children in the free and reduced-price lunch program do for meals during the summer. The infographic shows another example of issues rural and metro counties have in common and the barriers in rural counties that make it difficult to make this program work.

Who feeds our children during the summer?

Taking the Rural Pulse, part 2

In this second half of Jim’s interview with Dr. Kathleen Annette, they talk about other findings of the Blandin Foundation’s Rural Pulse survey, including rural Minnesotans’ top priorities, optimism in spite of challenges, and the fact metro residents agree that the rural voice is not being heard.

Blandin Foundation’s Rural Pulse survey, part 2

For more on the Rural Pulse survey, visit www.ruralpulse.org.

 

Taking the Rural Pulse

This week on Rural Minnesota Radio Jim talks with Blandin Foundation CEO Dr. Kathleen Annette about the foundation’s newest edition of their Rural Pulse survey. This survey, started in 1998, asks rural Minnesotans what they’re thinking on topics ranging from the economy to leadership in their community to the future. Next week, Jim continues his conversation with Dr. Annette.

Blandin Foundation’s Rural Pulse survey, Part 1

For more on the Rural Pulse survey, visit www.ruralpulse.org.