With the holiday season approaching, food banks are facing a growing demand.“I think a lot of people are familiar and saw the lines of cars during the first couple of years of the COVID pandemic, and we all kind of thought that would go away once the pandemic kind of went away.Unfortunately, that’s not been the case,” said Sarah Biles of Harvesters.Harvesters serves 760 member agencies in 26 counties in Missouri and Kansas.According to a recently released survey from the United Stated Department of Agriculture comparing 2021 to 2022, 10 million more Americans are facing food insecurity, the single biggest jump since 2008. Janice and Ron Witt have operated the Reola Grant Center for Family Life Development in Kansas City, Kansas for thirty years.The center is one of Harvesters’ member agencies.The couple says this year has been so challenging, they’re considering shutting down due to the overwhelming demand, lack of food, and lack of money.“I would say it’s close to the worst. It’s very close to the worst. It’s just very different, to be honest. I think we are now in a worse condition than we were with COVID, because now we have people who need food, but the money isn’t there,” Janice said.Biles tells us pandemic programs disappearing and inflation are two major reasons for the spike in demand.She says turkeys are thirty percent more expensive than last year which has led Harvesters to buy some chickens instead of turkeys.Harvesters is also collecting boxes of side dish items for Thanksgiving.Friday morning the food bank had some volunteer help from sixth graders from Discovery Middle School in Liberty.The students bagged food as a hands-on exercise for their class work.“We’re reading a book about stable food supplies now and we wanted to volunteer so people can have a Thanksgiving food and meal,” said Jayden Gordon.“It just makes me feel good inside how we’re helping our community,” Avery Spiek said.Harvesters is teaming up with the Royals on Tuesday to collect turkeys at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, 1622 East 17th Terrace.Those turkeys will be handed out on Wednesday at the same location.Janice Witt says their focus is beyond one holiday meal.“The meal ends, but that pantry remains. And if there is not food in it for you to feed to your family, then we’ve lost another household to hunger,” she said.The Witts for years have paid for a lot of what they give away out of their own money.Janice says to keep The Reola Grant Center going what they really need is money.“We are going after the dollar bill because those dollars allow us to get to where we need to be,” she said.To donate to The Reola Grant Center, go to any Country Club Bank.
With the holiday season approaching, food banks are facing a growing demand.
“I think a lot of people are familiar and saw the lines of cars during the first couple of years of the COVID pandemic, and we all kind of thought that would go away once the pandemic kind of went away.
Advertisement
Unfortunately, that’s not been the case,” said Sarah Biles of Harvesters.
Harvesters serves 760 member agencies in 26 counties in Missouri and Kansas.
According to a recently released survey from the United Stated Department of Agriculture comparing 2021 to 2022, 10 million more Americans are facing food insecurity, the single biggest jump since 2008.
Janice and Ron Witt have operated the Reola Grant Center for Family Life Development in Kansas City, Kansas for thirty years.
The center is one of Harvesters’ member agencies.
The couple says this year has been so challenging, they’re considering shutting down due to the overwhelming demand, lack of food, and lack of money.
“I would say it’s close to the worst. It’s very close to the worst. It’s just very different, to be honest. I think we are now in a worse condition than we were with COVID, because now we have people who need food, but the money isn’t there,” Janice said.
Biles tells us pandemic programs disappearing and inflation are two major reasons for the spike in demand.
She says turkeys are thirty percent more expensive than last year which has led Harvesters to buy some chickens instead of turkeys.
Harvesters is also collecting boxes of side dish items for Thanksgiving.
Friday morning the food bank had some volunteer help from sixth graders from Discovery Middle School in Liberty.
The students bagged food as a hands-on exercise for their class work.
“We’re reading a book about stable food supplies now and we wanted to volunteer so people can have a Thanksgiving food and meal,” said Jayden Gordon.
“It just makes me feel good inside how we’re helping our community,” Avery Spiek said.
Harvesters is teaming up with the Royals on Tuesday to collect turkeys at the Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, 1622 East 17th Terrace.
Those turkeys will be handed out on Wednesday at the same location.
Janice Witt says their focus is beyond one holiday meal.
“The meal ends, but that pantry remains. And if there is not food in it for you to feed to your family, then we’ve lost another household to hunger,” she said.
The Witts for years have paid for a lot of what they give away out of their own money.
Janice says to keep The Reola Grant Center going what they really need is money.
“We are going after the dollar bill because those dollars allow us to get to where we need to be,” she said.
To donate to The Reola Grant Center, go to any Country Club Bank.