People line up in their cars for the Just Food mobile food pantry distribution which occurs the second Monday of every month. The mobile food pantry distributes seven to 10 tons of food in the 90 minutes it takes for cars to filter through the warehouse’s staging area. On most days, more than 100 vehicles drive through the line and pick up enough food to feed more than 750 people. by Mike Yoder
“An early riser” was the answer Kathy Coffey gave for why she had been parked for nearly three hours outside of the Just Food warehouse Monday morning.
Coffey arrived at 8 a.m. and was the second car in a long line of vehicles waiting for the food pantry’s monthly mobile distribution, which began at 11 a.m.
On most days, Coffey said arriving by 8 a.m. would put her further back in line. But she wasn’t the only one slowed by the inch of snow that fell that morning.
“I figured I’d be late,” Coffey said. “It’s not unheard of for there to be cars way beyond the tracks.”
On the second Monday of every month, Just Food hosts its mobile food pantry at 1200 E. 11th St. Despite the snow, more than 50 cars were waiting before the pantry opened on Monday.
“I love how the operation doesn’t stop because of bad weather,” Just Food executive director Jeremy Farmer said. “People are cold and they are hungry.”
Farmer has seen cars line up as early as 6 a.m. and clients walk from miles away.
“These are the kind of things that keep us going,” he said. “We are committed to filling in the gaps.”
The mobile food pantry distributes seven to 10 tons of food in the 90 minutes it takes for cars to filter through the warehouse’s staging area. On most days, more than 100 vehicles drive through the line and pick up enough food to feed more than 750 people.
On Monday, volunteers were handing out tomatoes, cucumbers, salad mixes, fruit, bread, butter, cottage cheese, tea and yogurt. Farmer said the mobile food pantry is a favorite among the volunteers.
“You keep busy,” retiree Carrie Hall said on why she helps hand out food. Monday’s food pantry was no exception.
“I’m sweating I’m so hot,” she said.
For those waiting in line, the fresh food was a big draw.
“Every bit of groceries you get helps the rest of it last a little longer,” Coffey said.
Many of those who came on Monday had been out of work for months or even years or were having trouble making disability payments stretch.
Mary Nichols was there because her son’s family had recently moved into her home.
“It’s hard to feed seven people on what I get from my income,” Nichols said.
“Food prices are so high and we don’t qualify for food stamps,” said Pam Mooney, who was waiting in the back of the line with her husband. “We’re both on disability, and we are in the process of trying to keep the house instead of losing it. Utilities go higher. When we budget everything out, there is nothing left to buy food with.”
Comments
DCCDA (Families, Farmers & Educators United) says…
So glad Just Food is there as a resource for so many people.
Marilyn_Hull (Marilyn Hull) says…
If you look toward the end of the line you will see a woman in a red hat on foot.
I just found out she walked in the snow from downtown and stood in line waiting her turn. Fortunately, after she got her food, the car behind her offered her a ride home.
jayhawks2007 (anonymous) says…
Appears that the cars are blocking a railroad crossing. Not too smart is a train comes through. Where are the jack booted thugs when we need them?
ljreader (anonymous) says…
Pretty nice cars for po folks. I guess if you don't have to buy your own food you can afford car payments.
I'd think with the gas they're burning idling waiting for the free food, they could buy a bag of groceries.
mmblack (anonymous) replies…
Judge much?
You are assuming these people have car payments. When my husband got laid off, he already owned his car. What do you propose people do... sell their cars to buy food? It's pretty tough to job hunt without transportation.
rjmwx81 (anonymous) says…
With the exception of the blue PT Cruiser near the railroad tracks and the silver car in front of the red Jeep (looks like maybe a Volvo?) all of those cars appear to be early 2000's models or older.
merrill (anonymous) says…
All of those late model looking cars is a perfect indication of how deep the Bush/Cheney home loan fraud escapade and the exporting of USA jobs has penetrated.
A lot of those cars could be 10 years old or more.
You can bet many of those folks never thought they would be unemployed.
This is the thanks Americans get from USA industry.
overthemoon (anonymous) replies…
exactly. its not just people who were low income before. there are a lot of former white collar professionals whose lives have been ruined. For many, the economic disaster hit right at the point at which their kids were in college or close to it (close enough to keep them from applying for financial aid to cover what they had planned on contributing through devastated savings and income), their house, often their largest investment, lost 20%+ of it value, retirement monies were depleted and had to be tapped after that 6 month 'rainy day' savings ran out, etc etc etc. And then, being in their 50's, they find they are 'too old' to get the kind of jobs they had, their health is compromised by the stress of it all, and they get accused of being lazy shiftless drug-users.
commuter (anonymous) replies…
Ah Merrill and his blame Bush/Cheney mentality. I thought with Obama in office for two years it would be better?????
Doesn't President Obama bear some blame too??? or you just too hung up on Bush????
Maybe some of these people should start their own businesses... lawnmowing services seem to be booming here in Lawrence
commuter (anonymous) replies…
Ah Merrill and his blame Bush/Cheney mentality. I thought with Obama in office for two years it would be better?????
Doesn't President Obama bear some blame too??? or you just too hung up on Bush????
Maybe some of these people should start their own businesses... lawnmowing services seem to be booming here in Lawrence
justfoodks (Jeremy Farmer) says…
jayhawks2007 - I just wanted to be clear, we actually had a volunteer down near the railroad tracks keeping people off of it, moving traffic along.
ljreader - We actually don't have income requirements for this program. The only requirement that we have is that they are from Douglas County. As the article states, we have people who don't qualify for our services through our food pantry (within 185% of federal poverty level), but can utilize this service to help fill in the gaps that they have. Food prices are at an all time high and it's rather difficult to access produce.
I would say to the readers of this article that we have quite a few folks who (as mmblack suggests) are in a rather precarious position. They were making decent money, recently purchased cars and/or houses because things were going well, and then someone got sick, or a pink slip. They can't sell their house or cars because they'd still owe money on them, so they have to find a way to make ends meet. Unfortunately, the perception is that people are loaded if they drive a nice car, but most of the time, that is not the case.
Christine - thanks for enduring the cold for a bit on Monday and doing the story. We are grateful!
As always, if anyone has any questions, or wants a tour, please don't hesitate to let me know. I love telling the stories of our volunteers & those who we serve.
Sincerely,
Jeremy
Jeremy Farmer
Executive Director
Just Food, the food bank in Douglas County
1200 E. 11th Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
P: 785.856.7030
F: 785.856.7045
M: 785.418.1972
E: jfarmer@eckan.org
W: www.justfoodks.org
“Fighting Hunger in Douglas County!"
overthemoon (anonymous) says…
Some of those cars may be owned by someone giving someone else a ride. You know, helping out?