KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Food pantries around the Kansas City metro depend on Harvesters to stock their shelves.
Although the Harvesters warehouse will be closed Thursday, pantries are able to order more food in advance to make sure people don't go hungry.
The line outside St. Paul's Food Pantry Wednesday evening was as long as one would expect to find the eve of yet another snowstorm.
"I’m not ready for it. No, not at all," said Tina Larrabee, who was visiting the food pantry.
Larrabee considers herself blessed to receive the donated goods of milk, fruit and meat before the bad weather.
"Will this get you through the week?" KSHB 41 News asked. "Probably not, but it’ll help out a whole lot," Larrabee replied.
With roads expected to be treacherous Thursday, some area food pantries won't open their doors.
"That's so hard. Because we know that people are hungry in every neighborhood of this city every day," said Sue Fenske, executive director of NourishKC.
NourishKC plans to serve those in need through the storm.
"They can come and get as many meals as they need," Fenske said. "If they're picking up food for their family, we will provide them with as many meals as they need."
The organization operates out of the Kansas City Community Kitchen at the corner of 8th and Paseo.
During Thanksgiving, NourishKC offered dine-in services, but the omicron surge and renovations caused the organization to pivot back to take-out meals.
Oftentimes people hear of the service through word of mouth, so volunteers will be shoveling and salting sidewalks Thursday to make sure those folks are fed.
"People who have come to have a meal here before have learned that it doesn't matter what it's like outside, we're going to be here to make sure people have a nutritious meal," Fenske said.
Harvesters also runs a BackSnack program that provides food for children.
A spokesperson said schools will send BackSnacks home earlier or put more food in a BackSnack if the district knows school will be closed for a day or two.
