Missouri Food Assistance Applicants Hit ‘Bottleneck’

Lawrence Transit Brings Food to the People: A Food+ Partnership

When hard financial times hit, many of our neighbors’ (or our) lives may get completely upended. Whether it’s from the loss of a job, health issues or merely not making enough money to get by, everyone is just one or two life events away from having their housing stability, transportation reliability and food security taken away.

Many going through financial difficulties rely on public transportation to get around. However, for those also experiencing food insecurity, this drastically cuts down on their options for food pantries without having to walk long distances. Dre’Vel Taylor, a Mobility Manager at Lawrence Transit, spells out what these folks are up against on the daily.

“Most people don’t have six months of rent or mortgage saved up. That’s just the reality of society right now. I think that people don’t recognize that a lot of the people using these services are really just trying to get by, keep food on the table and keep their lights on.”

Harvesters Food+ program partners with different transportation organizations like Lawrence Transit to bring food to those who need it the most and can’t reliably drive to any of our other community partners. Fueled by a desire to bring food directly to people utilizing the bus system in Lawrence, the organization reached out to Harvesters and Just Food, one of our other community partners, and Thriving Thursdays were born.

Thriving Thursdays are mobile bus stop pantry popups located at the Lawrence Transit Central Station in Lawrence, Kansas. They take place on the 2^nd and 3^rd Thursdays of the month from 3-5 p.m., or until the food runs out. Harvesters provides food and volunteers for the third Thursdays, while Just Food provides them on the second Thursdays. Bus riders can expect to find fresh produce, meal kits, shelf-stable items and even home goods and personal hygiene items. It’s an effort to take a little stress off of those already facing a myriad of challenges.

“Instead of having people make an additional step in their journey, it’s like, hey, the food is already here. Let’s grab some on our way to our next destination and keep going,” Dre’Vel says. “That was what led to me reaching out to Harvesters.”

Lawrence’s Central Station is much more than just a drab building, functioning more like a community center with a library, bike storage and other services. Danon Hare, former head of our Food + program, shares how special this space is.

“From the moment you walk in, it is warm and homey, filled with natural light and colorful glass windows,” Danon says. “The space is welcoming for those traveling through and needing a spot to rest or connect with others until their next stop. Their front desk staff are kind to all the neighbors that come through the doors, and you can tell they have service to the community in mind in conversations. I often hear them discussing social services with neighbors as they try to set people up for success.”

In addition to finding solutions for food insecurity for those with limited transportation, Dre’Vel is involved in several other innovative initiatives that help give Kansans more access to mental/physical health and social services through the Community Health Improvement Plan, which is made up of a variety of transportation agencies. It goes to show that with teamwork we can work toward better outcomes for all our neighbors.

“It is a joy to have partners like this in a local transit authority and to be invited into the intimate community they’ve fostered,” Danon says. “Through daily interactions with neighbors, genuine trusting relationships are built. Their staff is enthusiastic to share this opportunity with anyone who can fully utilize this resource.”

For more information about the Thriving Thursdays bus stop pantries and other transportation-related services, please e-mail info@ksrides.org.