By ALEXANDER SIMONE

Staff writer

By serving 648 county residents, Marion County Resource Center and Food Bank utilizes all six of their freezers to capacity.

Food bank chairman Gerry Henderson told Marion Kiwanis, at their Wednesday meeting, the bank started with only one freezer.

He became involved with the food bank four years ago when it was operating out of Marion Presbyterian Church.

“When we were in the church, we had one room, one refrigerator/freezer, no air conditioning, and no heat,” Henderson said.

Since then, it has moved from the church to its own building on East Main St.

“One of the things that has made it work so well is that we’ve had so many volunteers available,” Henderson said.

“Neighbors,” as the volunteers call patrons, must be verified residents of Marion County. The volunteers don’t check qualifications at the food bank, but they know which people are county residents, and which are dishonest patrons, he said.

“We make a telephone call or two, and ask a couple questions of people we think are cheating us a little bit,” he said. “They don’t show up after that.”

In addition to getting early notice of discounts at Carlsons’ the food bank sends a volunteer to the Kansas Food Bank’s Wichita warehouse to pick up food every month.

“Everything that gets up to the end of their date, it goes to the food bank,” he said. “We get them for nothing if we can go and get them.”

The Marion food bank served an average of 648 neighbors through the first 10 months of 2018, but Henderson expects that number to decrease with the Hillsboro food bank’s renovation and new director.

“The rooms there have been totally redone, redecorated and they look nice now,” he said. “The director herself was very inviting.”

The Kiwanis Christmas party is scheduled during the normal meeting time Dec. 12 in the basement of the Marion City building. Carlsons’ will cater the event, with the Marion High School choir providing entertainment.