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The Kansas Food Bank is helping serve the Ulysses community with produce and other food items, and on May 1, the Food Bank passed out more than 50 boxes of food. Cars lined up in the alley between Grant County Senior Center and Dragon Line, and numerous volunteers helped sign people up and hand out the food.
“We had 50 boxes, and we handed out more than that because they had extra apples and extra bread,” said Grant County Senior Center Director Nancy Borthwick, who volunteered for the event.
The event was a joint effort between the Kansas Food Bank and the Local Health Equity Action Team (L-HEAT). Volunteers from Grant County Bank, L-HEAT, Lucy Waite and her Promontoras group, and several individuals helped distribute the food.
“Some people got a full box with apples and bread, and then once those boxes were gone, they just handed out apples and bread until those were gone,” Borthwick added.
About 20 individuals received just apples and bread, and 17 were still in line when everything ran out.
“But they did register, so once they come back the next time, they’ll already be in the system, so we won’t have to go through that process with them,” Borthwick said. “And then we’ll look up their birthday, and that will show us and then we’ll just show they were there.”
The Kansas Food Bank received a grant for the program that has no economic or age limitations, and May 1 was the first event in Ulysses under the program.
“Anybody who needs produce can come through, as long as it’s first come, first served, they can get food,” Borthwick said. “The one at the health department, I think there’s certain economic limitations on that. But there isn’t for this one, anybody and everybody who needs produce can come through.”
Borthwick said the event went pretty well with some tweaks to make the next event go more smoothly.
“I appreciate the Ulysses Police Department for coming put and helping us with traffic maintenance. That was greatly appreciated,” Borthwick said. “The city also came out and put cones out for us.”
Kansas Food Bank plans to come to Ulysses twice a month until the end of the produce season in September.
The next event in Ulysses is May 29.
The Food Bank has several opportunities for people to have this, not only in Ulysses, but also Johnson, Elkhart, and Garden City. When people register, the Food Bank can keep track of the need in Ulysses and provide more food, if needed.
“If there’s a bigger need in Ulysses, and we can show that there’s a bigger need in Ulysses, then the next time they get a grant and we get produce, then we can get more boxes than just 50.”
To register, contact Borthwick at the Grant County Senior Center, or go to the next event in Ulysses and the volunteers can register you while you are parked in line.
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