Free Food Boxes Available at November Events in Wyandotte County

Published on November 15, 2023

Summary:

• Between November 15^th – 20^th, nine community events in Wyandotte County will provide free food boxes with non-perishable items. Some events will also provide free produce.
• There are two food box options. See below for the items included in each food box.
• Food boxes are provided through a partnership between the Wyandotte County Public Health Department, Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force, Aetna Better Health of Kansas, and Harvesters—The Community Food Network.
• Food box event information is available at wycohetf.org/food-boxes.
  
  

November 15, 2023 (Kansas City, KS) – The Wyandotte County Public Health Department (WYCO PHD), Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force (HETF), Aetna Better Health of Kansas, and Harvesters—The Community Food Network have partnered to provide free food boxes at Neighborhood-Based Clinic Events and other community events in Wyandotte County this November.

The goal of this food box project is to provide culturally familiar foods for community members, especially people in Wyandotte County experiencing food insecurity. When providing food at previous community events, HETF and partner organizations identified a need to include more culturally familiar foods to better serve the diverse communities in Wyandotte County. This insight, combined with feedback from community members who received food boxes earlier this year, helped inform the food box project for this November.

At participating events, community members can get free food boxes of non-perishable items, while supplies last. There are two different food box options that may be provided (Box A and Box B). During a food box pilot project in the spring of 2023, one of the biggest pieces of feedback from community members who received food boxes was that they wanted fresh produce, not just non-perishable items. This November, some events will provide fresh produce, in addition to the boxes of non-perishable food items.

• Box A will include canned diced tomatoes (no salt added), canned whole kernel corn (no salt added), corn masa, rice, dry pinto beans, canned sliced jalapeños, dry lentils, canned garbanzo beans, canned potatoes, dried cilantro, habanero sauce, canned menudo, and a pouch of fully cooked shredded pork.
• Box B will include canned sweet potatoes, ready-to-eat macaroni and cheese, cornbread mix, peanut butter, canned green beans (no salt added), canned carrots (no salt added), pouches of fully cooked chicken, dry lentils, canned collard greens, canned pinto beans (no salt added), and canned fruit mix in juice.
• Produce will include three or four of the following items: potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbage, and apples. Specific items will vary based on availability.
  
  Please note: Event hosts may provide pre-packaged produce boxes (30-pound produce box intended for a family of five), or they may let event attendees select the produce items they want.

See a more detailed list of food box contents below or by visiting wycohetf.org/food-boxes.

This project will distribute 470 food boxes (235 of Box A and 235 of Box B). The majority will be distributed through community events. A limited number will be distributed through other community programs, including food boxes for families participating in the Healthy Families Wyandotte program through the WYCO PHD.

Upcoming Events Providing Food Boxes

• Wednesday, November 15, from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Kimball Missionary Baptist Church, 2019 Quindaro Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66104 (Box B and produce)
• Thursday, November 16, from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Community Health Council, 803 Armstrong Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101 (Box A, Box B and produce)
• Friday, November 17, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Grace Temple Baptist Church, 4900 Armstrong Ave, Kansas   City, KS 66102 (Box A, Box B and produce) - Update Nov. 17 as of 6:40 pm: There are no food boxes remaining at Grace Temple Baptist Church
• Saturday, November 18, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm at Guiding Star Missionary Baptist Church, 3035 N 27th Street, Kansas City, KS 66109 (Box A, Box B and produce)
• Saturday, November 18, from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at Sacred Heart Church, 2646 S 34th St, Kansas City, KS 66106 (Box A and produce)
• Saturday, November 18, from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at McNewton Center, 2100 N 13th St, Kansas City, KS 66104 (Box A, Box B and produce)
• Sunday, November 19, from 9:30 am - 11:00am at Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, 554 Washington Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66101 (Box A, Box B and produce)
• Monday, November 20, from 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm at Central Avenue Betterment Association, 1303 Central Ave, Kansas City, KS 66102 (Box A)
• Monday, November 20, from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm at Leah’s Laundromat, 1920 Quindaro Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66104 (Box A, Box B and produce)
  
  

Background on the Food Box Project

In the spring of 2023, the WYCO PHD, HETF, Aetna Better Health of Kansas, and Harvesters did a pilot project with food boxes at community events, with the intent to provide culturally familiar foods. A total of 460 food boxes were distributed in March, April and May through nine partner organizations at more than 23 community events in Wyandotte County. People who received food boxes were asked to fill out a survey with their feedback. More than 50% of the respondents indicated that, within the last twelve months, they ran out of food before they had money to buy more.

According to Feeding America, approximately 11% of people in Wyandotte County (over 18,000 people) experience food insecurity, with disproportionate impacts on communities of color, including Black (23%) and Latino or Hispanic (15%) community members (please note: estimates are not available for other races/ethnicities at this time; Feeding America states that the federal data required to produce these local estimates were unavailable).

Using lessons learned from the pilot project, partners planned the food boxes for this November. Boxes A and B are funded by Aetna Better Health of Kansas and fulfilled by Harvesters. Harvesters is providing the produce as a supplement to Boxes A and B, free of charge.

Find out more about the food boxes: wycohetf.org/food-boxes

To find additional nutrition resources beyond this food box project, see the Food Locator tool from Harvesters at https://www.harvesters.org/get-food-assistance/food-locator.

Full List of Non-Perishable Items Included in Food Boxes A and B

             
         Items in Box A                                                      Items in Box B

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