KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Northeast High School's food pantry expects to help even more families as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, or SNAP benefits, dry up.
In addition to food, the pantry also provides clothing, shoes, toiletries, and personal hygiene items.
Roberta Holt-Kipper, a 1969 Northeast High School graduate, runs the middle and high school's pantry alongside other alumni volunteers.
The pantry is open Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the lower level of Northeast High School.
They serve almost 1,400 students between both the middle and high schools.
But anyone is welcome, no questions asked.
According to Mid-America Regional Council data, about 21% of people in Northeast High’s zip code are below the poverty line.
"This is another one of my families," Holt-Kipper said.
Right now, her Northeast family is facing a lot of uncertainty.
"I worry every night, and that's why I'm up at 3 a.m.," Holt-Kipper said, who said she was checking Harvesters’ website Wednesday morning ahead of her pantry shift. “Harvesters, like everybody else, is suffering right now."
Holt-Kipper is expecting an influx of students and families over the next month if people lose their SNAP benefits, similar to the busy day she saw Wednesday.
Every student qualifies for free meals in the district.
"We try to work around,” Holt-Kipper said. “We try to work, whatever the circumstances we're in. Getting free items and trying to stretch our bucks is really important.”
The pantry receives grant money, which helps with operations.
"We're all part of the world too, so we see what's going on," Holt-Kipper said. "I'm certain there are people who go to multiple food pantries.”
Dick Shores is part of Holt-Kipper's family at Northeast, serving as a volunteer.
He and his wife graduated from the school in 1960.
"It just means a lot to give back to the community," Shores said.
Giving back is close to his heart, especially with the trends he sees.
"There are more people who are in need," Shores said.
In addition to other pantries and donors, there are also plenty of people who want to help.
"Our former student body is so close that if one of us calls for help, five people answer that call. I think that's what makes us…stand out from a lot of other people," Holt-Kipper said.
Everyone who becomes part of that family benefits from the resources.
"This, as a resource in this school, is honestly a priority," said Kenneth Thomas, who teaches at Northeast.
Like his students, Thomas also uses the pantry. He knows what losing SNAP could do for students.
"Their parents are struggling to figure out what they're going to do for next month," Thomas said.
Holt-Kipper has her sights set much farther ahead.
"They are my future," Holt-Kipper said.
The pantry serves diverse family situations in the community.
"A lot of families have students who don't always live with them. We have a lot of families here who have multiple families in the same house," Holt-Kipper said.
Even with resources stretched thin, there’s a motto the school and district abide by.
"We don't turn people away," Holt-Kipper said. “None of us right now are overwhelmed with the amount of food that we’ve got, but we’re blessed.”
Instead, they're keeping their doors and hearts open.
"They're always a little shocked that it's kind of like, 'You don't pay. This is free. This is our gift to you,'" Holt-Kipper said. "They're getting to see what makes the world a better place," Holt-Kipper said.
KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.
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