Editor’s Note: This is the sixth story in a series of articles part of a special print edition highlighting senior citizens in the community. Visit local businesses to pick up your copy or reach out to [email protected].
Mary Long Beem was inspired to start the food and money collection for the Eudora Food Pantry during the holidays.
For the last 15 years, volunteers sit at Gene’s Heartland Foods around Christmas to collect donations to then place in the food pantry. What started as just food donations then turned into a monetary option as well. Through the years, the number of volunteers has increased to allow for more weeks prior to Christmas to collect.
For the last five years, volunteers have started sitting at Gene’s from the middle of November right up to Christmas. There are about 15 to 20 people who help with the operation that Beem runs.
The first year, they collected about $2,000. Now they collect between $3,000 and $4,000 on top of the food donations. In the last 5 years, they’ve donated over $10,000 to the pantry.
The holiday donations contribute to a significant amount of groceries the pantry can use when they run out of certain items. Beem said she’s always been inspired to get involved with whatever she could. She’s lived in Eudora all her life, but growing up all she wanted was to get out.
Now, she couldn’t feel more opposite. Eudora is her city, and she feels drawn to supporting everyone she can. Not only does it keep her busy, but she’s always been good at instigating and asking questions about how she can help. She said she doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon, and she’ll stay involved as long as she can.
Beem also has been leading a weekly Bible study for about 15 years through the Baptist church and puts together funeral dinners for church members. She also organizes food deliveries for those in the community who are sick, just had a baby or need a little extra help.
Her Bible study got so big that they outgrew her house and had to move to the church. Beem also teaches Sunday School to senior
citizens every other month and is active on the church’s prayer team. Beem said the supportiveness of others at her church and in her various groups have made all these things possible.
“I’ve always been the kind of person [to say], ‘Is there some way we can help? What can we do?’” she said.
