Harvesters asking for donations to buy food during Coronavirus outbreak
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Harvesters, the Community Food Network, is asking for donations to buy food during the Coronavirus outbreak. The regional food bank is collecting money for a COVID-19 Response Fund.
The regional food bank often asks for food donations, but Major Gifts Manager Jannett Wiens told KSNT News that they need financial support to buy food during the pandemic.
“We’ve all seen those bare shelves,” Wiens said. “Families are taking care of themselves and stocking their own pantries at home as well they should and so for us if we have the financial support we can leverage those dollars.”
Currently, Wiens said Harvesters helps 141,500 people each month, but they expect that number to go up.
Harvesters helps through food banks and mobile food distributions. Anyone can go to a mobile food distribution regardless of income.
Wiens said that mobile food distributions are a great way to take on the crisis.
“Mobile food distributions are the ideal model right now,” Wiens said. “People are able to stay in their car, drive through, have someone put a bag or box of food in their vehicle, minimizing that person to person contact.”
Wiens said they hope to lower the stigma around receiving food assistance. Especially, because she believes many people are going to need to see help who haven’t before.
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