KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Hertzog Meat Co. near Butler, Missouri contacted Ryan to share how this first annual program took off. This story was made possible by continued connections in the agriculture community. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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For families dealing with unforeseen circumstances, hospital bills or just the cost of groceries, a $200 beef bundle could be the difference between having a holiday meal or not.
That's why Hertzog Meat Co. in Butler, Missouri, is filling that void for people needing a "Holiday Hand Up."
"15-20 showed up, and then about a week in, we saw over 300 applications come in for families who could really use this," Quick said.
What started as an online video almost turned out of control for the first Holiday Hand Up initiative.
The meat company committed to 12 beef bundles worth $200 each, plus $50 in shipping.
With help from community partners like Red Door and Iron Horse, they're able to donate 25 bundles containing about 25 pounds of beef each. To be selected, someone must share their story through an online submission program.
"It surprised me we had so much response to this and thank goodness to some of our partners like Red Door or Iron Horse that got involved that gave us a little extra money to provide more bundles," Quick said.
The program comes at a crucial time as families juggle winter bills, taxes and holiday expenses while beef prices continue to sit near record highs.
November's Consumer Price Index, released on Thursday, shows food prices have cooled overall, but coffee is up 18.8% from a year ago and ground beef is up 14.9%.
"Especially this time of year, cause people have to juggle all the bills, taxes are due, presents under the tree. Where are you to find the time to get a quality meal," Quick said. "Something's gotta be sacrificed."
KSHB 41 News Reporter Ryan Gamboa has extensively reported on the issues facing livestock producers over the past year. Years of drought forced farmers to cull their herds, which caused the national beef population to decline. It's basic supply and demand, less beef available leading to higher prices for the consumer, while American's continue to demand the product.
Cattle growers are finally making money after some down years, as market prices remain higher than the past. It's about a three-year investment for producers to increase the cowherd numbers, ultimately providing consumers some relief.
"Guys like us are continuing to do what we can to grow our herds, but it comes at a cost," Quick told Gamboa back in May. "At some point, we’re bumping up the highest cost we’ve ever seen and if the market were to flip, then we’re upside down. Nobody’s winning right now, unfortunately."
One of the boxes Hertzog's packaged went to the Galegor's in Raymore, Missouri.
They're a young disabled couple — Kimberly has an autoimmune disorder and cancer, while Steve has been in a wheelchair for 33 years after a car accident. They also care for her dad from Florida, after both their mothers died six weeks apart last year.
"We save our money when they [Hertzog's] have their sales throughout the year. That's when we're able to buy their beef," Kimberly Galegor said. "We can't just go down to their store anytime we want to buy their beef, we don't make as much money as a normal family does."
The couple prioritizes a higher quality product due to their health issues. It's why they save to buy in bulk at Hertzog's, which offers a higher quality product than a traditional grocery store.
Quick explained he can keep his prices competitive because they base their prices on the live cattle market. One pound of ground beef at Hertzog's sat just above $6.
Still, times are tough across the Kansas City metro as many folks aren't feeling much relief at the grocery counter.
"It's very hard to celebrate the holidays. We brought my dad up from Florida, so it's another mouth to feed. We have three people in the household to feed now, so it's very difficult," she said.
This gift checks one more burden off their holiday list as extra cash is tight.
"It makes us know the next time that we need to go buy food, we have a little more extra money to purchase from them," Kimberly Galegor said. "This puts a little light in our house to be able to know that we can celebrate with a good roast or even hamburgers."
Quick said the bundles provide up to 20 meals for a family, offering relief during a time when rising beef prices force families to buy smaller cuts with the same money they had last year.
"That's why we're doing it, to take some of that stress off," he added. "The goal for us through this program is for families to not feel as stressed and have a good meal there to share with their friends and family. More importantly have an extra present under the tree or an extra bill get paid."
For Quick, connecting with families in need has been humbling and offered time to reflect reviewing their stories.
"Sometimes it's hard to slow down, we're all busy. And you actually plug in with real families out there that are trying to make it every day. And you realize you're not doing enough," he said. "The sigh that I hear on the other end of the phone, they actually know there's a little relief coming their way. It's worth it."
The company plans to continue building the program in future years, guided by a simple philosophy.
"Community first, we're all neighbors," Quick said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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