LIBERTY, Mo. (KCTV) – A row of cars stretched farther than the eye could see, leading up to the parking garage of The University of Kansas Health System’s Liberty Campus (formerly Liberty Hospital) Friday evening. They weren’t there for doctors’ appointments. It was a different kind of health care — making sure they had enough healthy food to get them through the weekend.
People came from Liberty but also from smaller towns in Clay County. Lynette Ealey, a mom from Kearney, had her son in the passenger seat of her SUV as volunteers asked her to pop the truck so they could load it full of fresh food.
“It helps my family a lot,” she said.
A pickup truck rolled up next. Phyllis Lehman, from Liberty, was in the passenger seat. She said living off of social security income is a challenge.
“I’m retired,” she said. “I live by myself and I’ve got a mortgage and insurance and bills.”
WHO IS IN NEED?
Julie McCaw, the executive director of the Redemptorist Social Services Center, was helping to oversee the event. She said the demographics of food pantry use have changed, particularly in Clay County.
A row of cars stretched farther than the eye could see, leading up to the parking garage of The University of Kansas Health System’s Liberty Campus (formerly Liberty Hospital) Friday evening.(KCTV5/Betsy Webster)
“Right now, it’s the working poor,” McCaw said. “Years ago, we served just the poor, but now the working poor is bigger than the poor.”
That’s why the hospital decided to host its monthly drive-thru at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday. Most food pantries are only open during the daytime.
“A lot of people who need it can’t get to a food pantry that’s only open during the day,” said Liberty Hospital nurse Jennifer Utz.
WHY A HOSPITAL?
McCaw said it was the only food pantry she knew of at a hospital in the state of Missouri. Utz said it just made sense. Their mission, after all, is to make people healthy. Food is part of that.
The monthly event — a partnership with Harvesters and Redemptorist Social Services — offers healthy, fresh food. Volunteers filled bags with potatoes, onions, spring mix lettuce, fruit and fresh baked goods. The only canned food was tuna to provide a protein source.
“When you go to the store and you have to extend your budget, you’re going to buy the least expensive food,” said McCaw. “The fruit, the produce, those are things that cost more, so a lot of times it’s skipped. It’s really nice that we’re able to offer them healthy and fresh foods.”
Utz said one thing that sparked the idea was their medical intake forms. Many health systems ask not just what medication you take but also whether you feel safe at home and whether you ever worry about being able to put food on the table.
“With our very first pantry we had last September, we had over 600 people, and I think that really drove home the need in the area,” said Utz.
This Friday, they served 155 families from six counties in 45 minutes.
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