Demand for help from the Eudora Food Pantry has grown by 40% in the two years since the pandemic began, one of the key organizers said Friday.
Marsha Gordon, a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ, said she would wait a long time for anyone to come use the pantry 15 years ago. Now, an increase in the number of families needing help, in addition to serving senior citizens, has made community involvement and fundraising even more important.
“I’ve talked to so many people who have come into the pantry, and they’ve said, ‘I used to donate here and now I need help,’” Gordon said. “That’s exactly why we’re here. None of us know when we will be on the receiving end.”
Nationally, four in 10 people visiting food banks were there for the first time in the early days of the pandemic, based on data from Feeding America. Demand for help from food banks spiked by 55% nationwide.
Back in April 2020, cars lined up starting at 6 a.m. at Eudora United Methodist’s mobile food pantry, with over 800 people served in a day.
Now, in the basement of St. Paul, there are stacked up cans of beans, soups and boxes of cereal to help with continuing demand. Some volunteers pack sacks of food together for the neighbors in need, while others stand bundled just outside of the church to hand out food on distribution day.
The food pantry is open 9:30 a.m. until noon Wednesdays at St. Paul, and sees an average of 75-80 patrons, sometimes over 100, volunteer Sue Neustifter said.
Gordon said new people make use of the pantry all of the time. Last year was successful for the Eudora Food Pantry, with more community involvement and fundraising even amidst a pandemic.
“I see a side of Eudora I haven’t seen before,” she said. “This whole community is rallied around the neighbor who has suffered and having children at home, jobless. They understand that there are needs out there and want to step in to help.”
Carol Hagan and Mary Beem both lead small groups at the Eudora Baptist Church. Hagan and Beem set up a card table with a sign and rotated volunteers to collect donations outside of Gene’s Heartland Foods before Thanksgiving and throughout December.
Overall, last year was the biggest for donations, totaling $4,200, in addition to large recycle bins full of food delivered weekly to St. Paul.
Beem estimated they began working with the food pantry 10 years ago with donations of just $150 and a few cans.
“We put a dollar sign on a baby wipes box and used that the first year for donations,” Beem said. “Then, I brought a glass vase and people could see how much money was being donated, and it has helped a lot.”
Nearly every church in Eudora contributes to the success in some way, Neustifter said.
United Methodist Church brings carloads to the food drive, and volunteers come from Refuge Christian Church, Holy Family and others.
In addition, Just Food donates much of the meat provided, and a newer partner, the Giving Garden, hosts fundraisers and offers fresh foods, helping the pantry’s goal to provide more nutritious options. Eudora’s youth get involved via school can drives and Boy Scouts.
The Scouts and 4-H food drive is now two times per year, Scoutmaster Jim Lord said. Students from various local groups conquer neighborhoods with empty bags to be filled and later picked up with food donations inside. The next food drive is planned to take place in March.
“My Scouts have fun doing it. You grab a buddy and go down the street,” Lord said. “It’s always fun to see when it’s too much to hold, and they’re all looking at who brings back the most.”
Prior to COVID, food pantry patrons would shop in the basement rooms of St. Paul so that they could choose what they wanted. Gordon said the pantry hopes to return to that style of shopping soon.
However, now, it’s a drive-up experience, where each family gets three bags of miscellaneous items, one bag of meat and one bag of milk, eggs and bread.
Updates about time and date changes with the food pantry are announced via its Facebook page and by other volunteers, but most of the communication happens by word-of-mouth, Gordon said. The volunteers deliver food if families cannot make it.
“By doing this, I’ve met a lot of neat people, both workers and neighbors that we serve,” Gordon said. “I feel like I’ve gotten so much out of it to make connections like that.”
Donations can be made when the pantry is open Wednesday mornings or by contacting Gordon at (785) 766-1814.
Reach reporter Daisy Bolin at [email protected].
