
America's economy may be doing well, but that doesn't mean hunger still isn't a major issue. In the state of Missouri, one in seven adults and one in six children are struggling with hunger.
That's 865,400 people.
Over the past decade, the number of people in Missouri experiencing hunger has more than doubled, the largest increase in the entire country. This hasn't been helped by a 2016 law that prohibited most able-bodied adults without dependents from receiving food stamps.
This change in the law has put an extra burden on food banks.
"If the SNAP benefits aren't coming, then you start to rely on food pantries," Conner Kerrigan with Empower Missouri said according to KRCG TV. "Well, if you're like in a rural area, it's probably hard to travel to a food pantry and you have to put gas in the tank in order to do that."
The problem is that the amount of food donated to the food banks hasn't increased by much since the law passed.
One group that's doing its best to help feed Missouri's hungry are hunters.
Missouri deer hunters donated nearly 350,000 pounds of venison to pantries and food banks this hunting season, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) said in a news release.
While shooting animals seems like a pretty lame way to have a good time, at least the deer meat is going to help the most vulnerable.
The hunters donated the meat to Missouri's Share the Harvest program which provides "lean, healthy" venison to help feed hungry Missourians. According to Good Housekeeping, venison has a third of the amount of fat found in beef, and less calories than chicken.
"Venison is richer in protein than any other red meat, which means that it satiates the appetite really well, keeping you fuller for longer," nutritionist Naomi Mead says.
via Missouri Department of Conservation
"Hunters started Share the Harvest because they saw a need in their communities and hunters remain the driving force behind this popular program that helps feed our fellow Missourians who are in need," MDC director Sara Parker Pauley said in a statement.
"We sincerely thank the thousands of deer hunters who support Share the Harvest, along with the many participating meat processors and sponsors who help make it possible," Pauley continued.
Over 100 meat processors throughout the state packaged and ground the donated meat for free before it was handed over to the food pantries.
"We greatly appreciate the hunters, processors, and sponsors for their support of Share the Harvest," CFM executive director Tyler Schwartze said in the news release. "The donated venison stays in the local areas where the deer were harvested so it truly is helping out neighbors in need."
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."