The schedule is changing, but Abundant Harvest will still have free food giveaways now through August.
Abundant Harvest Director Lee Alderman says he’s pleased to continue offering this program at the facility. He says it has helped thousands of families over the past month.
The partnership between Abundant Harvest and Victory Fellowship Church developed in late May, with the first event on Memorial Day. The original plan was to have three giveaway days a week, but that number dropped to one because all the supplies in the truck were claimed on Memorial Day.
Alderman says 40 volunteers help during the giveaways, but it still takes 2.5 hours to offload the semi truck that comes to Emporia from Tulsa. Lines hae stretched as far east as the Emporia Senior Center and south to Bunge.
Free food giveaways through this program are now slated for July 8 and 22 as well as Aug. 12 and 26. All giveaways are tentatively scheduled to begin at 3 pm and go as long as the food is available. Giveaways typically consist of milk, dairy products, fruit and Hostess baked goods.
The success of this program means Abundant Harvest canceled its regular hot meal service until perhaps September. Abundant Harvest is still giving out about 50 to 60 boxed food packages per day in the morning. That program typically goes from 6:30-9 am.
For more information, call Abundant Harvest at 342-7439.
