A Different Kind of Drive‐Thru
Cars began filling the parking lot on a Saturday as early as 6 am. Many parents had their children with them. They patiently waited not for a big sporting event or music concert but for bags of food.
Around 10:30 am, a semitruck from Harvesters arrived, filling cardboard bins with perishable foods including potatoes, berries, peppers, lettuce, watermelon and other fresh fruits and vegetables.
The families in the cars continued to wait as Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas’ staff and volunteers spent the next two hours sorting the items and filling individual grocery bags with a variety of nutritious, fresh foods.
At 1 pm, cars began driving through the mobile distribution. Bags of food based on the family’s size, were loaded by volunteers into the car trunks. “It was heartbreaking to see the NEED for the food,” said Deacon Joe Allen, who volunteered alongside his fellow St. John Paul II parishioners.
Catholic Charities, in partnership with Harvesters, offers the mobile food distribution for Wyandotte County residents on the third Saturday of every month in the parking lot at Harmon High School in Kansas City, Kansas. Three hundred families drive through to get perishable items that are often too expensive for them to buy.
On-site volunteer help is crucial to the mobile food distribution’s success. It’s a great service project for families and large groups. Deacon Joe added that the ministry was an ideal activity for a parish, “It creates a bonding experience for members of a parish to work together performing a Corporal Work of Mercy.”
Catholic Charities also offers monthly mobile food distributions on the fourth Tuesday in the parking lot of its Olathe Emergency Assistance Center for Johnson County residents and on the second Saturday in the parking lot at the Lawrence First United Methodist Church for residents of Douglas County.
To volunteer for a mobile food distribution, sign up here!
Summer Food Program has Record Success
15,264 times stress was reduced this summer. 15,264 times lack of food wasn’t an issue. 15,264 times parents and kids could just sit down and enjoy their time together. That’s because 15,264 meals were served at 30 Kids Summer Food sites across our 21 county service area.
Over 185,000 children in the state of Kansas qualify for free or reducedprice meals during the school year. Sadly, only 7% of those children have access to summer lunch programs.
Because of these sobering statistics, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas launched its Kids Summer Food program where kids can access a free meal at one of our sites.
In only its third year, the number of meals served through the Kids Summer Food program has nearly tripled since inception. What makes this program different from many others is that we also provide meals for parents or adult caregivers alongside their children.
“Not only are we able to provide a solution for a physical hunger, but we also enable parents to connect with their children over a meal and that can help satisfy an emotional hunger as well,” said Denise Ogilvie, Vice President of Outreach and Grants Management.
If you would like your community to have a site or would like to volunteer next summer please contact Denise Ogilvie at [email protected].
Donors Provide Back‐to‐School Supplies to Those in Need
Hope Hero Shout Out!
The average cost of school supplies in 2017 topped well over $100 per child and that doesn’t take into account backtoschool clothing shopping or computer hardware and software.*
For families living in poverty, purchasing pencils, notebooks, tissues, hand sanitizer and the like can create a real financial hardship. It can often mean going without. Sometimes it comes down to making the choice between missing the required school supply or perhaps making those worn out, torn shoes stretch just a little bit further.
Thanks to the generosity of parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Shawnee, over 250 students, served through the Foster Grandparent program at Catholic Charities, don’t have to make that choice.
Over 250 donated backpacks were filled with school supplies specific to elementary and middle school student’s needs. In addition, bulk classroom supplies, including tissues, wipes, hand sanitizer and more were provided.
Thank you, Sacred Heart parishioners, for your kindness in helping those in need.
Take Action Against Hunger
Ways to Make a Difference
The average cost of school supplies in 2017 topped well over $100 per child and that doesn’t take into account backtoschool clothing shopping or computer hardware and software.*
For families living in poverty, purchasing pencils, notebooks, tissues, hand sanitizer and the like can create a real financial hardship. It can often mean going without. Sometimes it comes down to making the choice between missing the required school supply or perhaps making those worn out, torn shoes stretch just a little bit further.
Thanks to the generosity of parishioners at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Shawnee, over 250 students, served through the Foster Grandparent program at Catholic Charities, don’t have to make that choice.
Over 250 donated backpacks were filled with school supplies specific to elementary and middle school student’s needs. In addition, bulk classroom supplies, including tissues, wipes, hand sanitizer and more were provided.
Thank you, Sacred Heart parishioners, for your kindness in helping those in need.
Every 60 seconds, Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas provides assistance to local families and individuals in need. Oftentimes, that help is in the form of food.
Our eight food pantries serve as a grocery store for families who have no other options. Every 30 days, they are welcome to shop for a limited amount of canned fruits and vegetables, milk, grains, fresh produce and more. Last year, food assistance was provided 302,000 times!
One of the quickest ways that you can help feed your hungry neighbors is to donate online:
https://catholiccharitiesks.org/hungryawarenessmonth/
A gift of any amount is 100% tax deductible and will make a difference in the lives of those experiencing hunger with 91 cents of every donated dollar going directly to helping feed local neighbors in need.
- Download and read the September 2017 two-page E-Newsletter in Adobe PDF format
- Sign up to receive our monthly Hope Notes E-newsletter
