Healthy food having an impact at in2Action

When In2Action became partners with The Food Bank late last year, Director Dan Hanneken was surprised by the quality of food provided.

And the impact of those dietary improvements among the residents there, he says, has been nothing  short of amazing.

“Since getting healthier food, something new started happening,” Hanneken says. “The guys began believing they can take care of themselves physically. They’re going jogging. They’re going out for bike rides. I don’t know if they’re thinking ‘if we can eat healthy, we can take care of ourselves in other ways, as well.’ But I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Residents at in2Action enjoy watermelon and juice.

In2Action is a not-for-profit that helps men successfully transition into society after serving prison time. Prior to The Food Bank, the agency used funding from state contracts to provide one-time $150 gift cards that allowed new residents to buy food until they could find work.

Because the program requires clients to wait 30 days before seeking employment, that grocery allowance had to last. “When you’re on a budget like that, how healthy the food is at the store is not even a consideration,” Hanneken says. “You want to get as much as you can for as little as possible.” Last year, In2Action saw its state funding cut. Hanneken was not sure what the agency was going to do about food. He feared that hunger would have a negative impact on residents’ success. “These guys are released from prison without any resources or support and are told to go do the right thing,” he says. “Things like getting hungry can cause them to make decisions they had no intention of making. We have to remove those distractions by meeting basic needs.”

Hanneken says he is grateful for The Food Bank and those who make the operation possible. “These guys have to eat today, no matter what,” he says. “This partnership has been an incredible difference maker.”

The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri
2101 Vandiver Drive, Columbia, MO 65202 (573) 474-1020 ShareFoodBringHope.org

Transitional Work Therapy

Missouri and Boone County Data indicate full time employment is the greatest predictor for success among released offenders. In2Action provides employment support to residents in the form of a Transitional Work Therapy Program. We operate a lawn and landscaping business in which we hire our own residents as employees of the operation. While on payroll and making money, our residents learn essential soft skills such as dependability, reliability, accepting criticism, and a good work ethic. Resident employees are also expected to be seeking permanent and gainful employment while participating in our program. Recent data indicates our residents are employed at a rate about 3 times that of a comparison group from the Columbia/Boone County area. Please contact us if you would like to hire us to provide lawn or basic landscaping services.

Life Skills

A lack of basic life skills often contributes both to initial incarceration as well as re-incarceration. At in2Action, residents are provided both one-on-one and group opportunities to learn a variety of skills including basic budgeting, conflict resolution, effective communication, job-seeking, and goal-setting to name a few. Please contact us if you would like to provide life skills training in an area you have specific expertise.