We're Building A Better Tri-State Together
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
0000017c-83f8-d4f8-a77d-b3fd0d9f0000In 2020, WNIN, the Center for Innovation and Change at the University of Evansville and ¿Qué Pasa, Midwest? collaborated on a seven month research and reporting project to find stories of the coronavirus pandemic in seven Midwestern states.Students from two UE ChangeLab classes provided substantial data and reporting resources for this project. Explore their work here and the entire CBC series below. COVID Between the Coasts is an ongoing project. If you know of a Midwestern story of the pandemic that has not been told, let us know.0000017c-83f8-d4f8-a77d-b3fd0da00000CBC: Binge Listen to Season OneThe reporting was research driven. Dr. Darrin Weber and his fall semester ChangeLab class students, Maya Frederick, Timmy Miller, Ethan Morlock and Pearl Muensterman gathered, cleaned and created visualizations of demographic and coronavirus data in our selected region. Their work culminated in an extensive data visualization of the coronavirus progression in our seven state project area. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smvmyHHNNEI" target="_blank">Learn more about the app and research.Full size Mobile0000017c-83f8-d4f8-a77d-b3fd0da00001

Essential Pandemic Food Program Shutting Down This Week

Steve Burger
/
WNIN-FM

One of the most enduring memories of the pandemic is the weekly Feed Evansville traffic jam.

Wednesday will be the final Feed Evansville food distribution at Hartke Pool. 

At the height of the pandemic, Feed Evansville volunteers distributed seven thousand boxes of food a week. Now, it’s usually around a thousand food packages which they’re paying for themselves since the USDA Farm to Family food distribution program shut down earlier this year.

Credit Steve Burger / WNIN-FM
/
WNIN-FM
Feed Evansville co-founder Lisa Rhyand-Vaughan gives instructions to volunteers at one of the last weekly distribution events.

Feed Evansville co-founder Lisa Vaughan says some jobs did not come back after the pandemic, which revealed the extent of food insecurity in Evansville.

“The majority of people coming through our line are fifty five and up, and they didn’t get their jobs back is what they’re reporting to us. And then, a lot of people prior to COVID were in what we call the ALICE population, so it’s considered working class poverty. This is helping them take the pressure off of their weekly bills.”

Responsibility for addressing food insecurity now shifts to the city’s Commission on Food Security, which was formed earlier this year.  

Related Content