The Village Church Food Pantry in Overland Park plans to distribute 500 Thanksgiving food baskets as demand grows and government supplies shrink.
Pantry Director Dennis Cobb told KCTV5 that emergency walk-ins have increased roughly 10% over the past two to three months. Government food flowing into the pantry has also dropped, Cobb said, and cash donations are the most helpful way residents can pitch in.
"The food that we receive through government sources has decreased," he said.
Need is growing across Johnson County
The pantry sits in a county where an estimated 37,366 residents live in poverty, about 6% of the population, according to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Roughly 8,290 children under 18 fall below the poverty line, a rate of about 5.8%.
Food costs compound the pressure. Nationally, grocery prices had risen 33% since the beginning of 2019, The Associated Press reported in July, citing government data.
Child hunger is also climbing regionally. United Way of Greater Kansas City said across Harvesters’ 27-county service area, about one in five children experiences food insecurity, citing Harvesters data. That marked a 17% increase from the previous year.
How to get help
The pantry operates out of the Meneilly Center for Mission, Tillotson Building, at 9960 Mission Road in Overland Park. Food assistance is available by appointment only, according to the pantry's website.
Call 913-671-2315 between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, or between 9:30 and 11 a.m. Saturday, to schedule a visit. Call the pantry to ask about Thanksgiving basket availability.
Johnson County government maintains a directory of community food pantries across the county for residents seeking additional help.
