It looks like any other small grocery store with shelves filled with canned goods, loaves of fresh baked bread, a frozen food section and place to pick up a gallon of milk for dinner. It is a store of sorts — but this facility helps feed between 185 to 200 hungry families in Nodaway County every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Maryville.
The Ministry Center, located at 971 S. Main, is well known in Maryville and Nodaway County largely because it has been supported by more than 52 churches in the area since 1999.
“When we first got started, we had no idea there was this kind of need in Nodaway County,” said Rod Shain, the Ministry Center Food Pantry coordinator. This past year, the number of families using The Ministry Center to obtain food rose by 10 the first five months, he said.
Along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Second Harvest (a food distribution center in St. Joseph), and weekly donations from Maryville’s Wal-Mart, the center is able to provide three weeks worth groceries and supplies each month for struggling families, the elderly and the disabled in Nodaway County.
In 2008, The Ministry Center served 1,865 families, 668 adults, 1,664 children, 425 single parent families, 682 elderly and 1,188 individuals with disabilities. Though Maryville residents regularly drop off food donations, which aid in filling the pantry shelves, these local drop-offs only meet about 30 percent of what is needed for Nodaway County’s hungry. The biggest portion of supplies are purchased from Second Harvest’s distribution food bank in St. Joseph. Second Harvest is part of the national food bank and the “Feeding America” program used as a clearing house for food donations. It is under the jurisdiction of the USDA.
“We are able to purchase at 19 cents a pound for food,” said Shain.
Marketing manager Melissa Leander of Second Harvest says the majority of northwest Missouri and eastern Kansas’ hungry are single parent households and has a significantly large elderly population.
“Sometimes the elderly on fixed incomes will choose medicine over food,” Leander said. She also said she worries about children during the summer because they do not have access to reduced or free school lunches. The center provided 8,308 brown bag lunches for children in 2008.
Another concern is the rural hungry, says Leander. Many rural poor don’t have transportation or do not have the money for gas to come into Maryville to either go to the center or a grocery store. “Many times, they buy food from convenience stores,” she said, and the food usually costs more and lacks in nutritional value.
Leander added that there has been an increase in need by 21 percent since January in northwest Missouri.
If a family or individual is able to reach The Ministry Center, there are certain qualifications to receive monthly allotments of canned, dried, frozen and perishable foods. The Ministry Center also has a clothing room.
“The USDA and HUD guidelines include that a person or family has to live under the 150 percent poverty line to qualify,” said Shain. In other words, if your income is low and you have dependents, the category of the poverty line is further reduced. Those receiving the benefits of The Ministry Center must show proof of income or unemployment documentation as well as Nodaway County residency, whether it is from a paycheck stub, a social security letter or utility bill. Proof of income for anyone else living in the household is also required.
The Ministry Center also works alongside Maryville Public Safety in helping transient individuals and families to receive vouchers for fuel and food.
In addition, the Nodaway County United Way is instrumental in providing funds for the fuel to transport food between St. Joseph and Maryville and pick up donations from the Maryville Wal-mart.
In 2009, the Maryville Wal-Mart has become a large contributor to The Ministry Center by providing baked goods, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, canned goods and frozen foods. “They (The Ministry Center) pick up and arrange for drop off on Tuesday and Friday,” said Dale Rodney, shift manager at the Maryville Wal-Mart. Nationally, Wal-Mart is working to provide food pantries with what is needed rather than giving them something that is not always wanted, says Rodney. “It comes straight from Wal-Mart, he said.
The largest chain grocery store in the nation wants their customers to know that they understand the struggles of a downward economy and want to provide sustainability in any food pantry efforts in their communities, Rodney said.
The Maryville Wal-Mart provides merchandise that has been pulled from their grocery shelves but do not have expired dates on the labels. “We provide a higher standard by pulling our merchandise sooner,” he said. “Our merchandise is above the radar.”
Shain says without the Wal-Mart donation, the center could not afford the type and quality of food they are donating. “Wal-Mart allows us to provide even more food to our clients, therefore helping families,” he said.
The partnership between Second Harvest, Wal-Mart and local churches has provided the food where it is needed most, says Scott Tomhave, executive director of Second Harvest. An average of 200 volunteers and 507 service hours are needed per month to help stock shelves, sort clothing and assist clients.
For more information about The Ministry Center, what to donate, or to volunteer, call (660) 582-6649. Watch for the weekly list of items needed for the center in the Friends and Neighbors section of the Maryville Daily Forum.
Maryville, Mo. —
