By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
The new Geary County Food Pantry is located at 700A W. 7th Street. Local officials and community leaders gathered for the ribbon cutting on Saturday.
Debbie Johns serves as director of the new 38-hundred square foot facility. "We offer different programs for neighbors that are food insecure in Geary County. They have a once a month shopping experience." There is also an opportunity to obtain food any time during the month if there are people needing food and for those without housing.
Sign up is required with proof of Geary County residency and a photo ID.
There is a Wheels of Hope program for school aged children and their families that are food insecure on the second Thursday of the month. Senior Commodities are also offered.
There is a Fresh Food Friday program that includes fresh produce and bakery items for the community, which does not require registration at the Food Pantry.
There was an earlier soft opening for the Food Pantry with Johns confirming 2,210 people were served in the month of June, up from about 1,400 in May at a former smaller facility.
Johns noted that Geary County has the highest food insecurity rate among children in the state. "We hope that we're helping bring that down a little bit."
The city and county provided funding for the project along with other donors and tax credits. Hutton Construction built the building.