KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Right now, families are juggling online learning, working from home and making sure kids are fed.
School districts across the metro are stepping in to provide free meals throughout the day.
Kanbe's Markets, a local nonprofit that works to provide fresh produce in food desert areas, is doing its part to help families in need as well.
At University Academy, they provide daily free meals for students, and twice a week, the school works with Kanbe's Markets to provide fresh produce for its most at-risk families, which is about 45 families.
When the pandemic happened, the Kanbe's Markets team didn't waste time to step in and help.
Some of their partners and big wholesalers donated fresh produce to the organization. The team takes the produce out with their refrigerated trucks and distributes it to organizations and schools that serve students.
"I know a lot of kids, without having the school environment as a safe place, might be feeling more alone, you know, and I want them to know that they’re not alone and we’re here to help," Maxfield Kaniger with Kanbe's Markets said.
The Village KC, The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City and University Academy are some of the organizations Kanbe's Markets is temporarily helping.
Kaniger said they want to do this because they can.
"Right now, we gotta do what we can to help each other," Kaniger said. "And so it’s one of those things that, we’ve had a lot of support from the community to get us where we are now. And we’re in a position where we have the opportunity to stretch and do a little bit more so we’re going to do that."
The University Academy superintendent, Tony Kline said it's heartwarming and really telling when organizations and companies step in to help. He said it's not just school leaders who want to see their students succeed, but the community as a whole.
