KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Multiple organizations joined forces Friday as the need for food in the Kansas City metro is greater than ever.
Hundreds of cars lined the street in front of Unity Southeast on Friday for a food distribution event organized by Unity Southeast, Harvesters Food Network, Councilman Brandon Ellington, I am My Brother's Keeper and Mt. Sinai Baptist Church.
The food makes a world of difference for Kansas City residents like Angela Lora.
"It's been a hard year," Lora said. "It's helping everybody out. Some people are out of jobs, and it's a great help to the community."
Unity Southeast Reverend Randy Fikki said food scarcity isn't necessarily the problem when it comes to the need for food.
"There is more food than we need in this community," Fikki said. "We just have to find a way to get it from the warehouses into the backs of people's cars and into the refrigerators and in their pantries."
More than 60 volunteers drove in from Missouri and Kansas to help with Friday's distribution.
While news of a COVID-19 vaccine might give people hope, Councilman Brandon Ellington said there's still a lot of work to be done to help Kansas Citians.
"We haven't really made progress as far as people being secure when it comes to housing, when it comes to rent, when it comes to food," Ellington said.
Joanna Sebelien, Harvesters Chief Resource Officer, said the organization is doing its best to keep up with the need.
"Not only is this a health pandemic, it's a hunger pandemic," Sebelien said. "We're seeing people who have never had to seek food assistance before."
Fikki said he wants community members to know the church's pantry is open every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon for anyone who needs food.
