The Community of Plains Kansas is in the running to win one of 40, $25,000.00 Grants from State Farm in their "Access To Food" Project. The monies, if won, would help provide a much needed grocery store to service both Plains and Kismet. Out of 3000 entrants, Plains has made the top 100. Of these, 40 causes will win $25,000.00. You can vote up to 10 times per day, through May 17, at:
http://www.facebook.com/statefarm/app_376288832400015
Log in then vote!
Below is there submission letter.
Plains, Kansas is in an acute food desert with our closest grocery store 14 miles away. When residents of a populated area have to drive so far to access a variety of healthy food at reasonable prices, it is detrimental to their overall health, and a big attributing factor to obesity. Our schools are dedicated to teaching health & fitness, but when the only convenient access to food is the local convenience store, a parent_s effort to provide nutritious meals is very difficult to nearly impossible. The majority of Plains residents are in the LMI (Low to Moderate) income bracket and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in Kansas among children in poor families is more than double the rate for children in higher income families (45.1% to 20.6%).
We are in the process of raising funds to provide a grocery store and the money would contribute to this cause. The impact of a full service grocery would be stupendous. A committee has worked on this goal for 4 years, with your help it is one step closer reality.
Again vote on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/statefarm/app_376288832400015