One volunteer makes a difference, helping KC-area food pantry feed hungry families

May 29--Christine Johnson, 56, always kept her refrigerator full of food for her four children.

When the coronavirus pandemic closed the office where she worked as an anesthesiologist, she wanted to do something useful with her time. In April, after seeing a Facebook post by a nonprofit seeking help from the community, she decided to volunteer at a food pantry.

What she saw there will stick with her for a long time, she said.

"So many of us live in this protected box ... that's not the reality for a large portion of our population," Johnson said. "If we don't choose to step out, we won't see the things in the world around us."

Johnson met a father and his daughter who were experiencing homelessness together and offered their gratitude. She talked to a mother who never needed help feeding her family before losing her job. A woman offered prayers in appreciation for the food.

As the coronavirus pandemic forced thousands of Kansans and Missourians out of work, the need for food assistance -- and volunteers to make that happen -- rose significantly. At the same time, social distancing orders caused food pantries to restrict the number of volunteers on site.

Johnson helped fill that need at a food pantry supplied by Harvesters, a nonprofit that serves dozens of counties in the Kansas City area.

The 56-year-old Blue Springs resident has been a nurse for 35 years and performed anesthesia for 32. She now works at an ocular plastic surgery center. But in April, the office closed temporarily.

Johnson found herself wanting to do something.

She saw a post on Facebook in early April that Community Services League needed volunteers. The nonprofit, which was often staffed mostly by retired volunteers, needed "some of us young people to step up," Johnson said.

She found an opportunity to help at one of the organization's food pantries at 404 N. Noland Road in Independence. She spent five days volunteering from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Volunteers loaded boxes with essential food items that would feed a family of four, making nearly 20 boxes every hour. Inside the boxes was an array of nonperishable items, from canned soups and vegetables to two-pound bags of beans. One day, each package also included a box of Girl Scout cookies.

Then, volunteers would load pallets with 30 boxes of food on them.

When Johnson was there, they handed out close to 200 boxes of food a day instead of the typical 80.

After her first day volunteering at the Community Services League's food pantry in Independence, she called her daughter, crying.

"I said, '(you) live in this little world of shelter,'" Johnson said. "There were people out there who were hungry.

"You really realize how hard this was hitting our communities," Johnson said. "The number just went up each day."

One woman who came for food told Johnson that she just had a job interview and doesn't usually need help. Johnson told the woman she didn't need to explain.

Another woman said she prayed for the volunteers every night.

A man, with his daughter in the backseat of his car, drove in. He lost his job because of the pandemic and couldn't pay his rent. He and his daughter were living in the car.

Families, often with members of several generations, lined up for food.

The sheer number of people who needed help, Johnson said, was overwhelming.

The need

Harvesters saw a roughly 40% increase in the number of people seeking assistance, said Sarah Biles, a communications director for the nonprofit.

Those who donate time and food are even more crucial now. Because of the pandemic, Harvesters was forced to scale back the number of volunteers working in its warehouse -- even closing it temporarily -- and has struggled to receive donations during stay-at-home orders.

Around 6,000 volunteers used to work at the Harvesters warehouses in Kansas City and Topeka.

About 60 usually would be on the job at one time at the Kansas City warehouse. But during social distancing, they were forced to cut the number in half.

Johnson said she didn't feel like a hero. The real heroes of the food pantries, she said, are the people working there every day, the office clerks or social workers thrust into manual labor. They left their desks to make sure others didn't go hungry.

To Johnson, Community Services League was filling a need for her because she wanted to give back.

Johnson said it was an amazing experience to volunteer alongside other dedicated people to help those in need.

"Everybody's there to serve others," Johnson said. "They're serving others with their time and their hands . . . When you serve other people, it just fills your heart."

Harvesters serves 26 counties in northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas, providing food and household items to more than 760 nonprofits. Community Services League works to provide immediate relief to those in need, with the long term goal of economic stability.

To donate to Harvesters online, visit harvesters.org. Food donations can be made outside many area grocery stores. Community Services League also accepts online donations at cslcares.org.

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