In September 2021 our club started a new service project working with Church of the Resurrection's "Food Mobile" truck. The Food Mobile visits food "deserts"
in the KC area and will be parked at Hillcrest Hope Thrift Store on the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 3pm until 6pm. People in these "desert" areas typically are low-income and have to travel farther to find healthy food options. The Food Mobile provides hungry people in the Kansas City area with fresh, nutritious food and a dignified shopping experience. Our club volunteers help with registration of guests, assisting with shopping, and re-stocking the Food Mobile between stops.
Here are some comments from club Rotarians who served this project:
Lynn: Three club members volunteered 9/14/2021 at a mobile food pantry parked in the Hillcrest Hope parking lot on Mill Street in Liberty. I have volunteered at In As Much Ministry pantry, a brick and mortar pantry, for 9 years. It was interesting to see the concept of making food available to those in need in a much different format than what I have volunteered with in the past. This concept appeared to have been very well thought through. This was only the second day of operation for Food Mobile. I look forward to volunteering again, October 12th.
Reed: Good people doing good things. That was my thought as I was assisting at the "Hunger Stoppers" Food Mobile stop in Liberty on September 14th. The mobile food bank's maiden voyage was the previous Sunday, but the volunteers with Hunger Stoppers already had a good process in place. After customers arrived, they would check-in and wait in line to shop. Volunteers walked with the customers through the van to assist with selecting items. Items available included frozen meat, dairy products, eggs, canned goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, and snacks. Other volunteers bagged the items and assisted the customer to their car, as requested. Many of the customers expressed their appreciation-many would comment that Food Mobile was an answer to their prayers.
Jodi: The food truck experience was incredible. The volunteers from the Church of the Resurrection were very organized an the process from check-in on a tablet to helping them shop in the truck to bagging and assisting with getting their food to their vehicles was smooth. The guests were very pleasant and grateful for the food and service" I thoroughly enjoyed volunteering!
Gary: It went very well. The mobile pantry ministry is new and Tuesday was only the second time it had been operational. The plan is to come to Liberty the second Tuesday of each month. Since they really don't advertise (other than placing signage along Mill street), not sure how people will learn about it. With this being the first time they have done it here in Liberty, we really did not get that much foot traffic. However, with the few folks that did stop by, it was well received and very appreciated. This mobile food pantry is a ministry totally funded and supported by the Church of the Resurrection. They had a specially designed and built truck made just for the ministry (costing in excess of $100,000.00). No one signs up, they show up, complete a short registration form, and are escorted into the truck where they can choose anything they want in quantities based on the number of their family. Typically food pantries have canned or boxed food items (non-perishables), however, this one has not only non-perishable, but dairy, frozen meat, and fresh produce. In addition to the volunteers Rotary provided, Church of the Resurrection provided a full team of volunteers and at times it felt like we really were not needed, however, you just never know what the turn out will be. I am sure as it continues, more and more people will find out about it and the turn out will be greater. I was thoroughly impressed, they have taken the need to combat hunger to the next level! Most food pantries require you to fill out a lengthy form to prove yourself and you must go to their facility. This one come to you and the only question they ask if the number of people in your family. I enjoyed volunteering and look forward in doing it again in the future.