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City workers and volunteers from the Justice and Dignity Center welcomed car after car at Ruskin High School as families received fresh produce just in time for the holidays.
The line of cars wrapped around the corner as the drive-through food distribution provided much-needed assistance to Kansas City-area families.
"It shows me how much need we have in our community," Mayor Pro-Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw said.
The event distributed lettuce, bananas, fruits, vegetables, pumpkins, turkeys and more to families facing food insecurity.
Parks-Shaw organized the food drive with the Justice and Dignity Center.
"My office has been receiving calls," Parks-Shaw said. "I have received personal calls from people who have lost their SNAP benefits. So, I reached out to the Justice and Dignity Center, Bishop Tony Caldwell and they said, 'Let's get to work.'"
The collaboration between Parks-Shaw's office and the Justice and Dignity Center gathered 7,000 pounds of fresh produce, enough to feed 1,500 families in need.
For many recipients, the assistance comes at a critical time when grocery costs continue to rise.
"This is just wonderful," One recipient said. "I mean, it's just two in the family, but we haven't got enough money to buy groceries and pay bills. So, this is great."
The food distribution helps families stretch their budgets during the expensive holiday season.
"Things are inflated right now," Another recipient said. "So, this is just a blessing for us so we can be able to host our entire family."
The fresh food giveaway will continue every Saturday this month.
The dates, times and locations for the final two giveaways are below.
- Saturday, Nov. 22
- Time: Noon
- Location: Sheffield Family Life Center, 5700 Winner Road, Kansas City, Missouri, 64127
- Saturday, Nov. 29
- Time: Noon
- Location: Northland Neighborhoods, Inc., 5340 Chouteau Trafficway, Kansas City, MO 64119
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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