Harvesters adds distribution site at Hoyt City Park

Residents in the southern part of Jackson County who need extra help filling their pantries do not have to go far to find relief.

Harvesters, a Community Food Network based in Topeka, has designated the Hoyt City Park as a distribution site for its monthly food drive.

On Monday, Dec. 28, as well as the fourth Monday of every month, free food will be distributed at the park on a first-come, first-serve basis for families in need of emergency food assistance, according to Vicki Gilliland, local coordinator for the drive. 

Gilliland said the first Harvesters distribution in Hoyt was held in November.

“We had 152 cars show up and served 582 people,” Gilliland said. “It went pretty well.” 

The drive-through distribution only requires that participants fill out some simple paperwork to receive food items, Gilliland said. Residents can also pick up food for others in need if they have a signed proxy, she said.  

The types of food distributed each month varies. Last month’s distribution included potatoes, grapefruit, rice and other items.

“We really don’t know what we get until the truck comes,” she said.  

Participants are asked to enter the community park from the west drive on Kansas Highway 214.

“We want to wind the cars around the park,” she said. 

A representative from Harvesters reached out to the community several weeks ago to see if a monthly drive could be coordinated.

“There is very much a need in this community for food,” she said. “We had people show up for the distribution last month before the volunteers were even there.”

Volunteers are being sought to help Gilliland and others distribute the items. Volunteers are asked to show up at the park at 8 a.m.

“We had some student groups volunteer last month, and they were very helpful,” she said. 

To volunteer or to find out more information, call Gilliland at 785-986-6209.

The city of Hoyt is one of several distribution locations for Harvesters in northeast Kansas.

Other sites include:

* The Netawaka Community Center, 418 Kansas St. in Netawaka (third Monday of the month). Food distribution is at 11 a.m. 

* Countryside Park, which is the soccer fields in Holton at First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue (first Tuesday of the month). Sign-up begins at 7:30 a.m. Participants must sign-up by 9:30 a.m. and the food is distributed shortly after.

The Jackson County Food Pantry also receives boxes of food from Harvesters Community Food Network for seniors who qualify, based on age and income. The seniors can pick up these boxes once a month.

Harvesters’ mission is to feed hungry people today and work to end hunger tomorrow. Harvesters is a regional food bank serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. 

Harvesters provides food and related household products to more than 620 not-for-profit agencies including emergency food pantries, community kitchens, homeless shelters, children’s homes and others. 

Harvesters’ main facility is located in Kansas City, Mo. Harvesters also operates a second facility in Topeka.