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Advocates have outlined steps to ease the housing crisis — but it all depends on how legislators divvy the budget.

Advocates have outlined steps to ease the housing crisis — but it all depends on how legislators divvy the budget.

Turkeys and other holiday standards are still available for struggling families through food pantries, senior centers, school districts and other community sites fueled by the Food Bank of Wyoming. Rachel Bailey, executive director of the Food Bank, said many are facing food insecurity during the holiday season for the first time, and people across the state are working hard to ensure all Wyoming families can have a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. "There's a lot of initiatives," Bailey pointed out. " ...

Amid a wave of higher demand at food shelves, some locations in greater Minnesota are also trying to meet the needs of increasingly diverse populations. State grants are being awarded to mix in some culturally preferred items. An emerging component of the Minnesota Food Shelf Program involves grants of up to $5,000 sent to applicants outside the Twin Cities metro area. ...

An Oregon school counselor is helping families get the food they need, so students can be ready to learn. Laura Minato, a counselor at Beavercreek Elementary School outside Oregon City, has been screening student families for food insecurity, and said the idea came from a presentation by the American Heart Association. Minato started including questions about food insecurity in the family-needs survey she sends out to families. ...