In this post: Clearwater Ministerial Alliance Food Bank, ECCRC Food Banks – Lighthouse Library & Hicks Chapel, Elk County Ministerial Alliance Food Bank, Harvest House Food Pantry, Joseph’s Storehouse, Leon Christian Church Food Bank.

Clearwater Ministerial Alliance Food Bank

Location
Clearwater United Methodist Church, 130 N. 1^st St., Clearwater, Kansas
Enter through the south door by the church office.

Contact
620.548.2456

People Served
Anyone living in the Clearwater USD 264 School District

Pick-up Hours
Pick up items from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of every month, except major holidays (watch for notifications). Immediate needs may be met by contacting any pastor.

How to Help
Donations may be made through your local church or bring items directly to the CUMC kitchen during their office hours, which are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to Noon.

• Monetary donations are especially appreciated during the holidays, so that hams, gift cards, and other extras may be purchased.
• To reduce waste, carefully check the expiration dates and try not to purchase any items that are close to being expired. A big part of the volunteers’ time is spent sorting, marking, and storing the cans according to their expiration dates.
• There’s usually plenty of canned beans, peas, corn, and carrots, so consider donating the following, instead:
  • Canned Fruit
  • Canned Meats
  • Soup
  • Spaghetti & Pasta
  • Pasta Sauce
  • Hamburger Helper & Boxed Meals
  • Canned Foods such as Ravioli or Spaghettios
  • Peanut Butter
  • Cereal
  • Laundry Detergent

More about the Clearwater Ministerial Alliance Food Bank
Established more than 20 years ago, the Clearwater Ministerial Alliance Food Bank is staffed by faithful volunteers, Carol & Jack Bates, Elna Fitch, and Marlene and Tom Whitaker, who collect, sort, date, store, and pack the huge amount of food that is donated and distributed. Demand is already increasing this fall. Last week, 15 bags were welcomed by families within the USD 264 school district (the only stipulation). Currently, CUMC, First Baptist Church of Clearwater, First Christian Church, and Clearwater Lions Club volunteers each take a (three-month) quarter of the year to man the Food Bank during their open hours.

Bags are packed in advance – each usually containing six cans of vegetables, two cans of fruit, two cans of soup, one to two cans of canned meat, and a boxed meal such as Hamburger Helper. “Extras,” such as laundry detergent, toothpaste, toilet paper, cereal, peanut butter, etc., are also available on an individual basis. For Thanksgiving and Christmas, there are special sacks – a ham, stuffing, bag of potatoes, gravy, jello, cake mixes, sweet potatoes, and more.

“Clearwater is a very giving, generous community,” Marlene Whitaker says, “We always seem to have what we need, when we need it – and if we don’t – we just ask the churches through the Ministerial Alliance, and it comes in.” Community food drives are wonderful, as well, in re-filling the pantry.

 

ECCRC Food Banks – Lighthouse Library & Hicks Chapel

Locations
Lighthouse Library, 107 S. Main, Dexter, Kansas
Hicks Chapel, 26802 282^nd Rd., Dexter, Kansas

Contact
Lynn Pettigrew Norris, ECCRC Director
Email (preferred)
620.876.7323

Library Facebook Page | Resource Center Page

People Served
Dexter Community and Eastern Cowley County

Pick-up Hours
Watch for announcements on Facebook or email ECCRC.

Mission of ECCRC — Eastern Cowley County Resource Center
Dexter Community involvement — to promote volunteerism and entrepreneurship through community events and programs. Promotes literacy (reading & writing & computer skills) & provides a food bank and Commodities as well as annual Thanksgiving food boxes. The Thanksgiving food boxes will be given out November 21 at 1 p.m. Families must reserve their food box by emailing ECCRC.

What They Do and How to Help
They are members of the Kansas Food Bank and the Commodity program. They give out food (and receive requests) every week. The food items are purchased by ECCRC through donations, donated food items, and by private donations.

Dexter has sponsored a food bank at ECCRC (Lighthouse Library) for the past 15 years and has expanded to rural Dexter at Hicks Chapel (Fellowship Hall and Chapel for community use), where they provide food boxes to 30 individuals each month. In addition, they hold community dinners there!  This year. they will host a catered meal for 75 and give away 200 new books to families at their Christmas in the Country Open House on Saturday, December 7, at 5 p.m.

The ECCRC gave away 6,000 books this year, with 2,000 going to Men’s Rescue Mission.

 

Elk County Ministerial Alliance Food Bank

Location
Moline Christian Church, 404 N. Main Street, Moline, Kansas

Contact
Ann Wright
620.647.8165 or 620.515.0722

People Served
Elk County Residents

Pick-Up Hours
Call to make an arrangement.

How to Help
Cash is a welcome donation. There are some things that are not needed – such as small packages of hot sauces and seasonings, and unwanted bulk commodities. Be sure to check expiration dates on items before donating. Suggested donations include:

• Cash
• Cereals
• Crackers
• Pancake Mix
• Syrup
• Sugars
• Canned Chicken
• Canned Goods
• Laundry Soap
• Toilet Paper
• Paper Towels

More about the Elk County Ministerial Alliance Food Bank
Every fifth Sunday, the churches in Elk Falls, Grenola, Longton, Moline, and Howard gather together at one location for worship and members also bring donations for the Emergency Food Pantry. Subsequently, when individuals or families are in need, they can call Stan Rumbaugh or contact any of the area pastors, and help is on its way! They are invited to come to the Moline Christian Church and choose the items they need, including those from the freezer – like hamburger, bacon, hot dogs, bread, and butter.

Elk County residents take good care of their own! Gearing up for the holidays, the Elk County Ministerial Alliance Food Bank assists Mary Harrod in distributing Christmas Baskets of food at a Howard location on Saturday, December 21. Applications for baskets are due by the end of November. The baskets contain ham, potatoes, eggs, milk, pies, cake mixes, and all the fixings for a very nice Christmas dinner.

 

Harvest House Food Pantry

Location
Severy Church of the Nazarene, 222 N. Greenwood Ave., Severy, Kansas

Contacts
Kathie Newman, Director
620.647.6009

Pastor Dave Lofton
620.736.2342

Facebook Page: Harvest House Food Pantry

People Served
Residents of Greenwood and Elk Counties

Pick-Up Hours
Pick up items the second Thursday of every month from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

How to Help

• Volunteer at the Harvest House Food Bank on distribution day
• Give monetary donations

More About the Harvest House Food Pantry
This ministry serves an average of 200 families per month and is one of the larger food pantries that the Kansas Food Bank supplies, sending a large semi-trailer truck early in the morning on distribution days. Standard staples include frozen meats, bread, canned foods, boxed and packaged foods, and paper products. In addition, they provide fresh produce of potatoes and there may be apples, oranges, grapes, etc., depending upon what is available at time of ordering. The bread and some other items arrive frozen but thaw by the time they reach those in need.

A group of volunteers deliver food to shut-ins each month, ensuring that senior citizens and those truly in need are served. Emergency assistance is available, as well, because the passion at Harvest House is to “help provide food to our neighbors in need.”

The Harvest House Food Pantry is funded through grants and private donations. They are happy to receive monetary donations rather than food donations, as they can purchase items needed from the Kansas Food Bank at a great discount. Their new 25’ x 30’ ground-level facility, completed by volunteers, is now fully operational. Harvest House Food Bank is currently focusing on getting to know the people they assist in an effort to improve the quality of service to those most in need.

 

Joseph’s Storehouse

Location
424 N. Main, Burden, Kansas

Contact
Patrice Williamson, Store Manager
620.438.2497
Email

Facebook Page:  Joseph’s Storehouse Food Pantry

People Served
Residents of Eastern Cowley County

Food Pick-up, Shopping, & Donation Hours
Joseph’s is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to Noon.

How to Help
They are always glad to receive financial donations, and appreciate the efforts of local schools, clubs, banks, and even the sheriff’s department in conducting food drives for the mission. Local churches are involved in the services, as well. Suggested donations include:

• Canned Fruit
• Canned Meat
• Soup
• Pancake Mix
• Syrup
• Cornbread Mix
• Sugar
• Flour
• Canned Tomatoes
• Cereal
• Hamburger Helper
• Dish Soap
• Shampoo
• Bar Soap
• Toilet Paper
• Paper Towels
• Tissues
• Spaghetti Sauce
• Pudding
• Jello
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Peanut Butter
• Ramen Noodles

More about Joseph’s Storehouse
Right on Main Street in Burden, Kan., Joseph’s Storehouse has been in operation for more than 25 years as a non-profit serving the communities of Eastern Cowley County. The store, which is the “outreach arm” of Sunflower Outreach Services, was established as a way to generate funds to support the services provided by the organization. Services include the Emergency Food Pantry, the School Supply Program, the Christmas Angel Program, and the Good Neighbor Fund which helps people with utility bills, rent and other needs.  In addition, Joseph’s Storehouse serves as a distribution point for State Commodity Programs.

The model for Joseph’s Storehouse is quite unique, and it works very well. It is literally a hub where people can donate items, which are in turn sold in the store, and then those proceeds are used to serve the communities of Atlanta, Burden, Cambridge, Dexter, Grenola, and more.

Individuals and families in need can receive three double-bagged paper grocery bags filled with canned fruit, meats, Hamburger Helper, Tuna Helper, pancake mix, syrup, cornbread mix, pork & beans, and more. Milk cards redeemable at Braum’s in Winfield are also available, as well as frozen beef, and ground deer meat donated by “FEDD” (Families Eating Donated Deer). Each order contains about $50.00 worth of groceries.

Each December, Joseph’s Storehouse, in partnership with area churches, sponsors a Christmas Angel Program.  Families needing help with Christmas gifts for their children may sign up at the store from November 4 through November 25. In addition to gifts for their children, participating families receive all the food needed for a nice Christmas dinner including ham, potatoes, stuffing mix, and pies. Each school year, Joseph’s Storehouse provides hundreds of dollars in school supplies to Burden and Dexter schools. The supplies are distributed to those in need during enrollment.

 

Leon Christian Church Food Bank

Location
Leon Christian Church, 300 N. East St., Leon, Kansas

Contact
Pastor Kelly Benton
316.745.3226

People Served
Community of Leon

Hours
9 a.m. to Noon, Monday through Thursday (subject to change)

How to Help
The Leon Christian Church Food Pantry is currently in great need of all non-perishable food items. Monetary donations are welcome, as well.