KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers portions of eastern Jackson County, including areas like Blue Springs and Independence. If you have a story idea to share, send an email to Claire.
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At the start of summer, I shared Sandy’s Restaurant’s call for donations to help feed kids during the summer.
General manager Bobby Hines had a goal of 5,000 meals in 10 weeks. He broke that goal three and a half weeks early.
Hines said the makeshift food pantry hasn't struggled after receiving around $5,000 in donations to put toward food.
The GM spent the summer taking lunches to apartments and hotels in the Blue Springs area where he knows kids and their families need a meal.
Four out of the five days, he has lunches packed for around 175 people. He said on his “best” day, he fed 225 people.
“They’re happy to see us. You know, that's the thing," he said. "They know where we're going to be. And they know they're gonna come down and they're gonna get lunch for the day."
I wanted to see Hines at work, so I tagged along for a delivery day. And he was right, the kids knew when and where to find him and his son.
The bed of his truck was filled with coolers and boxes. The meal he handed out when I was there was chicken sandwiches with chips, granola bars and an extra special treat — popsicle sticks on a hot summer’s day.
On Fridays, Hines takes his grill and serves hot dogs. On the last day of the deliveries, he said he would have Kona Ice follow him to hand out slushes.
Hines said he has seen the need in a community he loves and cares about. While he makes sure these small stomachs stay full, his cup is overflowing.
Next summer, he wants to grow the giving.
“Sometimes, whenever you're in the middle of things, you don't realize the impact that you're having until you can take a breath," Hines said. “There's a need in all communities that I'm finding. It doesn't matter what color your garage door is. It doesn't matter if you have a garage door that people have a hard time feeding themselves, and that's OK.”
Sandy’s Restaurant is still accepting donations for items like chips. You can also donate money here.
Hines now has a goal to fill 100 backpacks he received with school supplies before the kids head back for the school year. Those can be taken into Sandy’s as well.
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