I hope you are weathering the impact of COVID-19. For so many, this crisis has not only affected their health and ability to engage in many activities, it has also taken a big economic toll. Families who never had to turn to others for assistance are now asking for help with utilities, mortgages and food. Others, with already stretched incomes are finding themselves facing even greater challenges to make ends meet.

“This has relieved my stress and gives me hope,” Ronni says of the Harvesters mobile pantry that shares healthy groceries at St. George Presbyterian Church. “I don’t have to worry about making sure my kids have food.”

Julie first found out about Harvesters in the early 90s through a friendly competition — “the Most Fowl Congregation” — at her United Methodist Church. The competition entailed members working to collect as many Thanksgiving turkeys as possible for people in need. Over the past 27 years she’s helped fight hunger in a variety of ways.

Cita lived overseas when the mad cow disease broke out several years ago. She compares the current collective anxiety around COVID-19 to that very stressful time. For her part, Cita feels like she’s more prepared than others to deal with this pandemic. She’s made it her role this time around to help others at her senior living community — Bowen Tower Apartments.

Virginia’s raising three kids — ages 8, 10, and 13 — on her own in Kansas City. She was struggling to provide for them after she was laid off from her job in mid-March. Suddenly without an income, she was incredibly relieved to learn about the Wyandotte County mobile distribution.