Hunger and Health Summit focuses conversations on mental health and hunger

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — Unless a federal judge intervenes, federal funding for the SNAP program and health insurance subsidies could run empty on Saturday. The Cass-Clay Hunger Coalition discussed those issues during this year’s Hunger and Health Summit.

“We’re all feeling the effects of what’s happening in our environment right now. And we really wanted this to be a place where people can come together, have really important conversations, and leave feeling a little more connected than they were,” said Jill Ambuehl, Coordinator for Cass Clay Hunger Coalition.

This year’s summit theme is, ‘Ridden in Resilience.” Speakers from the event focused on mental health, food, homelessness, and farming. Their goal for the summit is for people to know that they are not alone and that there is a community that is willing to help.

“Nobody wakes up in the morning and says I want to be hungry. And there are systemic things that we can do to help make it easier, because it’s hard to be your best person, it’s hard to thrive. If you haven’t had good quality food regularly during your day. So the hunger summit helps to identify and address timely topics to help us be more prepared to do those things in the community,” said Rory Beil, Health Promotions Director at Clay County Public Health and Advisory Board for Hunger Coalition.

The other topic that the Summit brings in is about maintaining your mental health. Jason McCoy speaks on bringing positivity to your kids and in your life.

“Anything we can do to help fight anxiety and depression is great. And if you can focus on that from a positive perspective, how much more enriching for ourselves for our souls, right? To be able to share that positive with our kids, with our community, and see all of us rise together,” said Jason McCoy, Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for Clay County