A FAMILIAR FRIEND

After all these years, more than 50, the Kimball Ministerial Association Food Pantry still provides much-needed support to Kimball County residents in need of food and non-food items.

The first official food bank in the United States was established in 1967 by John van Hengel, when he observed a mother of 10 children trying to provide food after her husband was sentenced to death row. Because she had nowhere to store the food that others were willing to waste, he had the idea to create a distribution network capable of storing potentially wasted food for people who needed it.

What started as a single warehousing distribution turned into a nationwide effort that, at the time of his death, was feeding 23 million Americans annually. From this idea others began establishing food bank networks in the 1970s but, it wasn't until the 1980s that food banks came into full swing. Today, the work van Hengel started is alive and well.

In Kimball, the ministerial food pantry was started over 50 years ago and has continued to provide needed food and non-food items to county residents struggling to support their families. With the rising costs due to inflation which we are experiencing nationwide, it has bcome even more difficult for families to purchase needed items to support their families' needs.

Currently, the Kimball food pantry is headed by Chellie Autry and has the support of 8-10 volunteers weekly. The food pantry is open the first Tuesday of the month from 9:00-11:15 a.m. and the second, third and fourth Thursdays of the month from 5:15-7:00 p.m.

The food pantry is housed int the old Catholic school at 509 W. 5th St. The main drop-off point for donations is at the Main Street Market, but items can be brought to the pantry during open hours. It should be noted that when you're clearing out your pantry at home, expired food items that you would not utilize should not be considered a donation for others. All items are inspected when they come to the pantry, and expired items are discarded.

During the months of October, November and December of 2022 and in January of 2023, the food pantry would not have been able to open its doors had it not been for the generosity of the Kimball E-Free Church and its members, who provided the needed food and non-food items as well as monetary donations. They, along with other members of the community, continue to support the pantry in its efforts to supplement the needs of families in the county.

In addition, the Helping Hands Food Pantry at Oak Street Baptist Church is open the third Saturday of the month to help those in need.

Both food pantries are resourced through the Food Bank for the Heartland, which supports food banks in Iowa and Nebraska.