Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Allied Health Studies
First Advisor
Laura Martin
Second Advisor
Timothy Yenter
Third Advisor
Saijun Zhang
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Many people in Lafayette County, MS, experience ongoing difficulties with consistent access to healthy food options. According to the Mississippi Health & Hunger Atlas, “food insecurity rates in Mississippi are consistently and statistically higher than national averages—having been ranked as #1 or #2 for highest food insecurity rate every year for the past 15 years” (Haggard, Cafer & Green, 2017). This capstone project examines how a Little Free Pantry (LFP) initiative can contribute to local food security efforts and evaluates cooking demonstration outcomes using ingredients found in LFPs. The approach combines quantitative and qualitative methods by tracking pantry inventory data and user feedback by collecting surveys. The project also incorporates a cooking demonstration that examines the LFP network’s role in enabling healthy meal preparation. The project is situated in a broader place-based partnership initiative and examines community involvement and local organizational partnerships of the LFP network. The project intends to demonstrate how community-based efforts such as the LFP can effectively and sustainably reduce food insecurity while strengthening Lafayette County’s food security and community involvement.
Recommended Citation
Richie, Anna K., "Cooking for a Cause: Food Insecurity in Lafayette County, MS" (2025). Honors Theses. 3308.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3308
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