Loathes
into loaves

Church responds to despised cutting of free food

By FINN HARTNETT

Staff writer

Ever since a financed commodities program providing free food to more than 250 low-income county families was paused in June, local organizers have fretted over those they are unable to feed.

The good news is that some organizations are launching their own programs to battle food insecurity.

Florence United Methodist Church is a small congregation, with 20 or so members. It isn’t exactly flush with cash, either; unable to afford a full-time minister, the church instead has a guest speaker every Sunday.

But after the commodities program was put on hold, the church’s hospitality director, Mary Jane Grimmett, knew she had to act.

“I’ve always felt the Bible tells us that we’re supposed to be Jesus’s hands and feet,” Grimmett said. “That’s why I decided I had to do this.”

She launched a free food pantry inside Florence United Methodist.

The church ran a pantry in the past but shut it down in 2021 after the board could not afford to run it, Grimmett said.

The church also sponsored the commodities program for more than a decade.

Before that, Florence’s share of commodities was handled by seniors at the Masonic Lodge.

“The senior citizens were doing it, but there weren’t enough of them to do it, and so one lady said, ‘Here’s the keys to the lock. You need to be in charge,’” Grimmett said.

The commodities program had six volunteers and fed 40 households every two months. Residents lined up outside the church a half-hour before opening time to collect their food.

“I knew we had people go through the line and take commodities that didn’t qualify, but I wasn’t going to say, ‘You can’t have them,’” Grimmett said. “That’s between them and God.”

While Grimmett doubts that the pantry will be as popular as the commodities program, she sees a need for charitable organizations in Florence, where 17.9% of people live below the poverty line. The county average is 10%.

“I worry about people, if they have enough,” Grimmett said. “I don’t think they’re going to knock on the door and say, ‘I need food. I need food,’ but it’s here if they need it.”

Grimmett was disappointed in the federal government for pulling funding from the commodities program, which is managed by Kansas Department of Children and Families.

“I could just cry,” she said. “I have no idea when we’re going to get commodities again. The food is up there in Concordia, but they don’t have the money to deliver it.”

DCF administrators told Department of Aging director Lu Turk last month that hiring private drivers to bring the food to Marion was not permitted.

Right now, the church is paying for pantry food — canned corn, chili, pudding — largely out of pocket.

Members are hoping to receive more donations as time goes on. A few Florentines have called or reached out over social media, Grimmett said. Brandin’ Iron is selling the pantry hamburger meat at market price.

The pantry does not have hours, but anyone can book an appointment by calling Grimmett at (620) 381-1302.

There is no income requirement for those taking pantry food, but Grinnett was zen about the idea that demand could exceed the church’s supply.

“When word gets out,” she said, “we’ll just have to go buy more.”