The Eudora Harvesters location provided over 100,000 meals to 1,942 households in 2023.
The food distribution location is run through the Eudora United Methodist Church on the third Wednesday of each month. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Ross Baker, said it’s amazing to see the impact they make on the community.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Baker said. “From month to month, you recognize the number of vehicles that are driving through, the number of counties that represents, but until you actually go and see a tabulation, you’re like, ‘Oh, wow.’”
The location provided food to nearly 300 more households in 2023 than it did the previous year.
Nationwide, food banks saw an increased demand for assistance during 2023, according to Feeding America. Nearly every food bank saw an increase for food assistance last April, and 65% of food banks saw an increase in the number of people looking for food assistance.
Analysts and food security professionals attribute this increase to the end of pandemic relief programs, as well as to high inflation, according to the Associated Press. Grocery prices have increased nearly 17% over the last two years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sarah Biles, Harvesters’ director of communications, said the local increase in demand probably occurred due to the pandemic relief programs ending.
“You were getting child tax credits and increased SNAP benefits and moratoriums on rent and mortgages. All of those programs were helping people make ends meet,” Biles said.
Harvesters serves 26 counties, and its network of pantry partner agencies feeds about 226,000 people each month, according to its site. It provides for counties in both Kansas and Missouri. About 35% are children and 15% are seniors.
Debi Kreutzman, community relations manager at Kansas Food Bank, said one in every 10 Kansans are food insecure. Of those, about two-thirds are above the threshold for SNAP food assistance.
“They’re really relying upon the charitable sector food banks and food pantries to help them be able to put nourishing meals on their table,” Kreutzman said.
Kreutzman said the number of Kansans the food bank serves has increased nearly 30% in the past year. The Kansas Food Bank serves 85 counties.
“The general cost of living increase has caused some folks to need additional assistance and turn to the food pantry network,” Kreutzman said.
In Eudora, the church’s distribution location uses a drive-thru pickup system. Families and individuals drive around the parking lot, stopping at various stations to pick up produce, bread and other food and household items.
“We always make sure that everybody goes away with at least something,” Baker said.
Baker said they will distribute food until the last car comes through or until the food runs out.
The distribution location serves the Eudora community as well as surrounding cities that don’t have access to food assistance. Tom Schmidt, co-chair of Eudora’s distribution location, said they typically serve over 20 zip codes every month.
“That’s a lot of the geographic area that takes advantage of the opportunity,” Schmidt said.
Biles said Eudora’s branch of Harvesters is a necessary resource.
“If the United Methodist Church in Eudora was not there, the closest partner agency to folks in Eudora would be, you know, traveling 9 to 10 miles to either go to Lawrence or to Olathe,” Biles said.
Biles said nearly 10% of Douglas County residents experience food insecurity.
“That would be indicative of the need that is still very high,” Biles said.
There are typically 20 to 27 volunteers each month helping unload food, bag it and distribute bags to cars. Baker said people of all ages and backgrounds come to volunteer each month.
“Some of them are neighbors, other people are just community members that, you know, maybe heard about it from a friend,” Baker said. “Kids from time to time come and help, which is really great.”
Schmidt said the church distributed food to 170 families during February’s distribution day.
“Where else could you do that in 2 hours and 15 minutes?” he said. “It is the quickest way to help the most people in the shortest amount of time.”
Schmidt said anybody interested in volunteering can show up at the Methodist church at 9:15 a.m. on the third Wednesday of the month. Food distribution is then from 10 to 11 a.m.
The next food distribution day is March 20.
For any questions about distribution or volunteer opportunities, contact the church office at 785-542-3200.
If you are looking for food assistance within your county, visit kansasfoodsource.org to find information about your local pantry.
Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected]
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