What began with a troubling snapshot of childhood hunger across Missouri has grown into a statewide effort supporting schools, as funding was recently directed to the Richmond School District. On behalf of students, Richmond School District staff recently accepted a $1,000 donation from the Missouri Farm and Home Bluebird Project. While the donation represents one piece of a much larger initiative, it reflects how a statewide mission built around children’s basic needs continues to reach local classrooms, according to President and CEO Jimmy Carter. The project began in 2020 after data on the scope of childhood hunger and unmet needs across Missouri caught Carter’s attention. One graphic in particular showed in Ray County alone, 1,080 children were considered food insecure, representing about 20% of the county’s child population. The data also showed 65% of those children qualified for federal nutrition assistance based on income, while 35% did not, meaning they fell above…