THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 41, NO. 3 | AUGUST 2, 2019
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MATT MCCABE
A volunteer helps organize and distribute food to the needy at Catholic Charities Mobile Food Distribution location on July 20. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas sponsors many efforts, like Mobile Food Distribution, to try to battle food insecurity in the archdiocese.
HUNGER IN THE HEARTLAND
Parishioners come together to get food where it’s needed By Ellie Melero @eleanor_melero
K
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — It was a hot Saturday in July, and the parking lot at Harmon High School here offered no shade or relief from the heat. But volunteers with Catholic Charities still worked hard to make sure people had access to food. Catholic Charities hosted its monthly Mobile Food Distribution July 20, and about 30 volunteers from St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood and Our Lady of Unity in Kansas City, Kansas, came together to help bag and distribute food to some 300 families in the Kansas City area. “We serve a lot of people in the community,” said James Fuquay, a Catholic Charities employee at the Hope Distribution Center in Kansas City, Kansas. “We see a lot of people who just need some help from month to month. They don’t really have enough to buy groceries and pay the electric bill, so that’s what we’re here for.” Twenty percent of Kansans are food insecure — which means they lack reliable access to sufficient and affordable,
nutritious food. Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas sponsors many efforts to try to battle this food insecurity, one of which is its monthly Mobile Food Distribution. The distribution takes place the third Saturday of each month at Harmon High School, down the street from the Hope Distribution Center, Catholic Charities’ food warehouse. Harvesters Community Food Network provides the food, and volunteers sort it and load it into the cars of the people who need it. Angela Markley, who sits on the Companions in Faith Committee for Our Lady of Unity and St. Michael parishes, helped coordinate parishioners from the two parishes to volunteer for the Mobile Food Distribution. She said members of both parishes were eager to help with the food distribution because they wanted to give back to their community. “It’s important for us to share with our families the needs in our community,” Markley said. “Some of these families, if they weren’t getting food here today, wouldn’t be able to afford to get food. “I think there’s a lot of people out there who don’t realize how much need >> See “FOOD” on page 2
Join the fight against food insecurity By Ellie Melero @eleanor_melero
I
n Kansas, one in five people are food insecure, and they rely on places like food pantries and soup kitchens to provide food for their families. Catholic Charities relies heavily on donations to keep its food pantries stocked. And there is an even greater need for food during the summer months because schools aren’t open to sponsor food drives and children no longer receive lunch at school. If you would like to help fight food insecurity in Kansas, here are some things you can do.
DONATE Donate food to a local food drive at places like Hy-Vee or directly to Catholic Charities. They are always looking for donations of shelf-stable,
healthy foods, like canned vegetables or peanut butter. If you would like to organize a food drive for your parish, Catholic Charities can provide a list of most needed items to help get you started.
VOLUNTEER Catholic Charities is always looking for volunteers for events like the Mobile Food Distribution, and offers volunteer opportunities at its Hope Distribution Center as well. If you are looking for a place more local, many parishes and other organizations sponsor soup kitchens.
SPREAD AWARENESS Let other people know that there is a need for food in the community. Encourage them to donate food and volunteer to help make sure everyone has enough to eat.