By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
More than 1,000 boxes of free produce and dairy items were distributed to Geary County residents Friday morning at the Junction City High School parking lot.
Nichole Mader, United Way Executive Director, said all the produce boxes were distributed to the public and a few of the dairy boxes were taken to the Food Pantry where they will continue to be distributed. The giveaway was coordinated by United Way and the Food Pantry with the help of numerous volunteers.
"In the produce boxes there were apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, and I believe peaches or nectarines or plums. In the dairy boxes there was milk, butter and cheese." It took approximately four hours to give away the food. "We did a drive through where people pulled up their vehicle, they either popped their trunk or opened the side door. We had volunteers that had masks, that put the boxes into the vehicles."
The food was provided by different types of donors and farm producers across Kansas.
Vehicles moved through the parking lot to pick up food with the Junction City Police Department assisting with direction of traffic. Mader estimated approximately 500 cars were driven through to get the food.
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United Way and the Food Pantry of Geary County along with other organizations have teamed up on an effort to provide free food to members of the Geary County community. It includes fresh produce and fresh dairy boxes.
According to Nichole Mader, United Way Director, that began on Friday morning in the parking lot of Junction City High School. Weight conditioning athletes and coaches unloaded a freezer truck carrying the food items. "All of these young gentlemen are out here carrying out these boxes that we want to get into homes."
The public can go to the parking lot at JCHS to pick up the food.
There were 1,017 boxes of food that had to be unloaded.