The Kansas Food Bank of Wichita pays close attention to communities across the state. If a community seems to be underserved in food resources, the Kansas Food Bank steps in. On May 2 the bank will bring a mobile pantry to the Chanute Recreation Commission Gym, 400 S. Highland.
Debi Kreutzman, Kansas Food Bank community relations manager, said the pantry is for anyone who is in need of food assistance.
“We limit one visit per household and only allow people to pick up for one household,” Kreutzman said.
When arriving to the pantry a person will only need to write down their name, address and number of people in the household. This is to help the food bank track zip codes to see where people are coming from so it can reach out to them.
“We try to make it as barrier-free as possible,” she said. “It’s hard for people to ask for help. You see the desperation in peoples’ eyes and it’s embarrassing for them.”
Knowing which counties in Kansas have limited food pantry options allows the food bank to work with the community to bring in the truck. Kreutzman said in the past Chanute didn’t have a good pantry base. The truck stops in Chanute a few times a year.
“There are higher rates of food insecurity in certain areas,” she said. “We try to work with the local pantries and help distribute food quickly and easily.”
Typically the mobile pantry helps 400 households in one visit. The pantry is not limited to just people in Neosho County. People from other communities are more than welcome to attend. The mobile pantry “won’t turn anyone away.”
Everyone that goes through the line will get the same items. Usually there will be items like meat, potatoes, bread and bottled beverages. The mobile pantry will start at 9 a.m. and last until 11 a.m. For more information on the mobile pantry visit www.kansasfoodbank.org.
Mobile pantry aids local food banks
