KANSAS CITY, Mo. — This fall, 30 schools in Kansas City, Missouri, will have food pantries in their buildings thanks to a grant from SchoolSmartKC.
The nonprofit granted $2,000 to each school to help it establish a pantry. Harvesters, the community food network, provides the food.
Kansas City International Academy received its first delivery of food Friday. Students at the charter school come from more than 20 different countries.
Harvester’s school pantry program allows schools to pick which foods it thinks its families will want enjoy, instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Leaders at KCIA have operated a smaller scale pantry for the past few months. It’s been well-received.
“Seeing the smiles on their faces when they leave, they leave with their bags full of food and clothes and things like that, it’s a great opportunity,” said Lateasha Randle, KCIA’s family and community engagement coordinator.
Harvesters has several programs designed to feed students so they can focus on education not hunger.
“It’s continuing to be a need even post-pandemic," said Rhonda Erpelding, the program manager at Harvesters’ BackSnack pantry program. "This is a great partnership we can have with schools so we’re able to fill in that gap."
People can learn more about the school pantry program on Harvesters website.
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