KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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Food banks across the area are working overtime to fill the gap and feed the hungry even as it looks more likely the federal government will reopen after being shutdown for more than 40 days.
The shutdown left many government food program recipients uncertain about when their benefits will resume.
Harvesters, one of the region's largest food networks, recently purchased over $500,000 of food that was distributed in just a few hours.
That's another example of the overwhelming demand during the government shutdown.
"That half a million dollar investment is practically already out the door," said Elizabeth Keever, chief resource officer at Harvesters.
The organization has been navigating rapidly changing information following weekend funding developments in the U.S. Senate and U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the SNAP program.
"The news has been incredibly fast around this topic," Keever said. "It's been really challenging to give the most up to date information to our partners."
Despite the uncertainty, community members continue stepping up to help. College students Bridget Sullivan and Tim Fitzegerald donated food to Harvesters on Monday, part of a wave of donations seen across the area during the shutdown.
"It's really hard to watch what other people are going through," Sullivan said. "Our community is kind of what builds the future. It's what shapes the future, so just being able to feed and help our community, it's just important to be there for each other."
Harvesters donation barrels in grocery stores have collected 100,000 pounds of food over the past week. The Brookside neighborhood Cosentino's Price Chopper had overflowing donation barrels. The store manager told KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa the store can hardly keep up.
Volunteers like Jermaine Wilson at the Leavenworth Mission Food Pantry understand the importance of food assistance programs firsthand. KSHB 41 News Reporter Rachel Henderson highlighted the impacts the government shutdown had on Leavenworth last week.
"I grew up on the system, so I understand firsthand the importance of a food bank," Wilson said. "It’s important that we all do our part and give back ‘cause we don’t know how long this is going to last. And as long as there’s a need, it’s important that we all step up and give back, especially if you have the means to do so."
The community response has kept organizations like Harvesters motivated during these challenging times.
"We're not going to take anything for granted right now and we're going to continue to get out as much product to as many people in need," Keever said. "No matter how big or small, it all makes a difference and we’re so grateful for everyone who has donated."
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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