KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas. She's been following the impact of the government shutdown on our communities. Share your story idea with Olivia.
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Even though the government shutdown has ended after more than a month of disruption, the impact on family food budgets continues to be felt across Kansas City.
Local organizations that stepped up during the crisis are maintaining their efforts to help families put food on the table.
Community Services League has been overwhelmed by community support throughout the shutdown period. Mark Graber, the organization's chief operating officer, told KSHB 41's Olivia Acree how grateful he was for the local response.
"It's really indicative, I think, of our community and their response to this because they're an important piece that has made this happen and have allowed us to run the additional pantry," Graber said.
KC Tenants is among several organizations still feeding thousands of families. The organization launched its We Feed Us program at the height of the shutdown and has raised more than $30,000 to keep food on tables.
KC Tenants will continue packing and distributing food Sunday and plans to continue distribution through the end of the month.
Other groups have also experienced record demand and donations. Harvesters reported receiving more than 100,000 pounds of food donated to barrels across the city in just one week.
The organization continues working to keep families fed while providing updated information about SNAP benefits. Elizabeth Keever, chief resource officer at Harvesters, said it can be hard to keep families informed during uncertain times.
"It's been really challenging to give the most up-to-date information that's accurate to our neighbors who are simply just worried about when they can feed their family and when they can get that money on their EBT card," Keever said.
Information and education have played crucial roles for organizations trying to help during the shutdown. The grocery boxes KC Tenants distributes include information about the latest developments regarding the shutdown and SNAP benefits.
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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