WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Kansas Food Bank is preparing for holiday distributions, making sure the 85 counties they serve have everything they need.
Debi Kreutzman at the Kansas Food Bank says they started sourcing food months ago to make sure they got everything in time and could deliver it in time.
Kreutzman says there’s always an increase in need by about 15-20% in November and December.
“Right now, we’re starting to see it’s gotten a little chilly, a little cold,” Kreutzman said. “So you know, gas and heating bills are going up, and all those things along with inflation, cost of housing, food prices, play into the fact that our food-insecure neighbors are feeling the pinch, and they’re needing just a little bit of help.”
But, during that time, there is also an increase in volunteering and food drives, which is important with the extra demand.
“A lot of people think, about, you know, let’s have a food drive during the holiday season because everyone is gearing up for the holidays, and they want everybody to have that,” Kreutzman said. “You know that great Thanksgiving meal, or you know that perfect Christmas dinner. So we see a lot of food drives that happen, and those food drives are very important to us because we do have that added increase in demand.”
In 2023, there has been a slight increase in people coming to the food pantries.
“You know, at the start of the year, gas prices were so high, food prices were increasing,” Kreutzman said. “And that’s where we’ve really started to see that some of our neighbors who maybe had not been to the pantry before are needing a little bit of help.”
Kreuztman says if you’re stuck between donating money and food, money allows them to buy what they need in bulk.
A resource guide for Thanksgiving food boxes and meals can be found here.
Hope in Motion is having a Thanksgiving meal for the first time, and the organizer, Angel Martinez, says they are set to feed 500 people.
“I’m just seeing the need and seeing people walking up and down the street every single day,” Martinez said. “And I know there’s lots of organizations out here that take care of people, just got to thinking like, well, that would be nice. We’re all at home, cozy warm with our families on Thanksgiving. I just felt like, let’s get some people together and serve dinner.”
It will be from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day at 700 N. Market Street. They are now collecting winter weather gear to give out at the meal as well.