Changes are Coming to the Neighborhood
A Report of the Past
with an Eye to the Future
Prior to October of 2012, the Marion County Food Bank then located in a small 150 sq. ft. room on the alley behind Valley Methodist Church was known as the food pantry. The Valley food pantry had been serving hungry people (Our Neighbors) for over 50 years. This volunteer effort of the Marion Presbyterian Methodist churches at the time supported an average of 80-100 individuals each month.
The congregational contributions came primarily in the form of cash donations and groceries placed in a box located just inside the main entrance to the church. The Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Church proposed that a more purposeful and regular method of support for the Food Bank be initiated. The effort was quickly embraced and became known Shared Sunday. In a short time, the concept had spread to the entire faith-based community in our city. Our neighbors in the city at that time, were generally able to receive assistance to meet their basic survival food needs for the effort.
In late winter of 2014, a group of the volunteers from the food panty contacted representatives of the Marion Advancement Campaign (MAC) to ascertain the level of interest for coming alongside the current effort to serve our neighbors in challenging seasons of life. The goal and desire was to serve more families by growing the “Neighborhood” to include most of Marion County.
Jackie Volbrecht and Gerry Henderson became the driving force behind the effort to define a path to this future vision of serving more of our neighbors. They learned that MAC had purchased an abandoned gasoline station located on east Main in Marion. MAC had been successful in establishing and maintaining a “Youth Center” in that building for many years. This lasted until a point in time where our mobile and electronic society had lessened the need for a youth center.
Under God’s providence, the alignment of needs and resources of many great non-profit organizations and faith-based communities came together. The former MAC Youth Center began the new “Marion County Food Bank”, thus allowing the Valley food Pantry to expand over 12 times in size to better serve our neighbors.
The newly formed “Marion County Resource Center and Food Bank” was being led by a volunteer Board of Directors that consisting of Jackie Volbrecht, Gerry Henderson, Janet Bryant, Jan Helmer, Linda Ogden and Charlotte Coleman as supported and approved by the MAC Board. Gene Winkler, a member of the MAC Board of Directors, was appointed by MAC to serve as an ex-officio liaison to the Food Bank Board and now serves as the treasurer for the food bank. Changes to the Food Bank Board since 2015 have been initiated and approved by the Food Bank Board itself.
The continued affiliation with MAC has provided two major benefits for the Food Bank. First, MAC has a 501/c3 designation with the federal government. This designation allows cash and in-kind contributors to write off contributions against income tax liabilities. Secondly, the designation allows the Marion County Food Bank to do business with the Kansas Food Bank located in Wichita.
Since the opening of the Marion County Resource Center/Food Bank (MCRC/FB) at 1220 East Main in Marion, the operation of the bank has been conducted entirely by volunteers. Cathy Henderson, who volunteered at the Valley UMC food pantry, has assumed responsibility for recruiting, training, and managing volunteers plus ordering and managing food inventory from The Kansas Food Bank (KFB) and from Carlson’s Grocery. Cathy also provides data for required reports to KFB and MAC liaison Gene Winkler.
During the first years of operation on Main Street the Food Bank served from 500 to 700 Neighbors (the name given those we serve by the Volunteers who serve them) each month, up from the 100 Neighbors served from the small room at Valley UMC Food Pantry. That number has remained very constant since the coming of Covid 19.
In February of 2020, working with the Marion County Health Department, we determined that the food bank could no longer allow Neighbors to shop for groceries inside the building. In response, Food Bank Volunteers began to pre-fill insulated bags provided by Western Associates with groceries and supplies for small or larger families. The bags were then placed (by volunteers) in vehicles of neighbors who drove around the building and parked at the front door. Volunteers use carts on which groceries were loaded and then deposited in Neighbors’ vehicles. Loading the bags and then lifting them into vehicles has proven to be very hard work.
The “Drive Through” delivery system will likely continue to be used after the Covid pandemic is conquered, because it avoids the crowding that occurred when Neighbors shopped inside. The staff of volunteers continually has thoughts about how the operation can be improved. It is that activity that has caused the Food Bank Board of Directors to think about “What’s Next”?
Currently when a load of groceries/supplies arrives from the Wichita Warehouse, volunteer women and men unload pallets case by case and piece by piece into the store room on the west end of the building. At a later time or date volunteers bring groceries/supplies from the storeroom into the center room where individual items are shelved. On distribution days (Monday morning and Thursday evening) groceries are loaded into insulated bags which are on carts which are lined up close to the front door and then placed into Neighbors’ vehicles.
Improvements have been made during the past five years which have made the operation more workable. Gene Winkler has built a “handling table” used for packaging produce from the Community Garden, sacking cookies into bags of 12, and other tasks for which table space is required. Gene also built the shelves in the store room from what used to be the platforms used as a stage. Ramps from one level of flooring to another in the old gas station are another of Winkler’s contributions. The Drive Through delivery system and the need for a more efficient way of moving groceries and supplies from place to place could be still better.
Until just recently all of the refrigerator/freezer units used by the FB were donated by people who no longer needed them. In the past several months the bank has received large donations from area corporations and have been recipients of grants from private and public entities. Money not spent on inventory was used to purchase three upright two door commercial freezers and one upright two door commercial refrigerator. No longer do our volunteers have to go “pearl diving” in an old chest type freezer. We are forever grateful to the Kansas Dairy Association through Wiebe Dairy of Lincolnville, Amazon for the “Million Dollars to Feed America” program, and the CARES - Covid relief grants from both the City of Marion and Marion County. We continue to enjoy the tremendous on-going contributions and support from our Marion County businesses like Carlson Grocery, Barkman Honey, and so many more.
Before all the large donations and grants began to flow toward our food bank, the FB Board of Directors began talking about long term needs. Most often board discussion turned toward the inefficiencies dictated by our facility. In spite of all the shelves, ramps and tables built by Mr. Winkler, moving inventory from a delivery truck into the west storeroom, then moving and shelving that inventory in smaller quantities into the center room, then placing that same inventory in insulated bags which have been placed on carts for distribution to Neighbor’s vehicles; the result is much like this sentence INEFFICIENT!
During the global pandemic, the Food Bank Board has been blessed to be presented with the possibility of moving to or building a more efficient facility through the partnership with MAC and National Charitable Community Foundations.
The Board has determined after this exploration process, the best possible path to the future is to acquire property and construct a building specifically designed to support our new food delivery distribution system. One that minimizes health risks and concerns for both our volunteers and neighbors. The Marion County Food Bank Board and the Marion Advancement Campaign Board of Directors have approved these plans.
We are blessed to be able to announce that through a tremendous gift/sale of a parcel of land at below market value by an out of town owner, the future site of the Marion County Resource Center and Food Bank will be 900 E. Main. A very accessible and convenient location at the intersection of Main and Cedar in Marion, Kansas.
As the Food Bank Board continues to finalize design of the future more efficient building and secure financing through grant opportunities, The Marion Advancement Campaign board will finalize the acquisition of the parcel and begin the process of preparing the property as a construction ready site. This process will include the demolition of the former salon and apartment, which is expected to occur by the Thanksgiving Holiday timeframe.
We believe this is the proper time to more forward on a project of this nature. The benefits to our “Neighborhood” are tremendous and enhances the “Community Experience” for our volunteers and neighbors for many years into the future.
We are honored, blessed and extremely appreciative to be an active and progressive partner in this amazing Marion County “Neighborhood”.
Our mission has been and will always be to fulfill the words of Isaiah 58:10
“if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.”
Thank you for working together to make our community shine like the brightest Noonday sun.
A Report of the Past
with an Eye to the Future
Prior to October of 2012, the Marion County Food Bank then located in a small 150 sq. ft. room on the alley behind Valley Methodist Church was known as the food pantry. The Valley food pantry had been serving hungry people (Our Neighbors) for over 50 years. This volunteer effort of the Marion Presbyterian Methodist churches at the time supported an average of 80-100 individuals each month.
The congregational contributions came primarily in the form of cash donations and groceries placed in a box located just inside the main entrance to the church. The Missions Committee of the Presbyterian Church proposed that a more purposeful and regular method of support for the Food Bank be initiated. The effort was quickly embraced and became known Shared Sunday. In a short time, the concept had spread to the entire faith-based community in our city. Our neighbors in the city at that time, were generally able to receive assistance to meet their basic survival food needs for the effort.
In late winter of 2014, a group of the volunteers from the food panty contacted representatives of the Marion Advancement Campaign (MAC) to ascertain the level of interest for coming alongside the current effort to serve our neighbors in challenging seasons of life. The goal and desire was to serve more families by growing the “Neighborhood” to include most of Marion County.
Jackie Volbrecht and Gerry Henderson became the driving force behind the effort to define a path to this future vision of serving more of our neighbors. They learned that MAC had purchased an abandoned gasoline station located on east Main in Marion. MAC had been successful in establishing and maintaining a “Youth Center” in that building for many years. This lasted until a point in time where our mobile and electronic society had lessened the need for a youth center.
Under God’s providence, the alignment of needs and resources of many great non-profit organizations and faith-based communities came together. The former MAC Youth Center began the new “Marion County Food Bank”, thus allowing the Valley food Pantry to expand over 12 times in size to better serve our neighbors.
The newly formed “Marion County Resource Center and Food Bank” was being led by a volunteer Board of Directors that consisting of Jackie Volbrecht, Gerry Henderson, Janet Bryant, Jan Helmer, Linda Ogden and Charlotte Coleman as supported and approved by the MAC Board. Gene Winkler, a member of the MAC Board of Directors, was appointed by MAC to serve as an ex-officio liaison to the Food Bank Board and now serves as the treasurer for the food bank. Changes to the Food Bank Board since 2015 have been initiated and approved by the Food Bank Board itself.
The continued affiliation with MAC has provided two major benefits for the Food Bank. First, MAC has a 501/c3 designation with the federal government. This designation allows cash and in-kind contributors to write off contributions against income tax liabilities. Secondly, the designation allows the Marion County Food Bank to do business with the Kansas Food Bank located in Wichita.
Since the opening of the Marion County Resource Center/Food Bank (MCRC/FB) at 1220 East Main in Marion, the operation of the bank has been conducted entirely by volunteers. Cathy Henderson, who volunteered at the Valley UMC food pantry, has assumed responsibility for recruiting, training, and managing volunteers plus ordering and managing food inventory from The Kansas Food Bank (KFB) and from Carlson’s Grocery. Cathy also provides data for required reports to KFB and MAC liaison Gene Winkler.
During the first years of operation on Main Street the Food Bank served from 500 to 700 Neighbors (the name given those we serve by the Volunteers who serve them) each month, up from the 100 Neighbors served from the small room at Valley UMC Food Pantry. That number has remained very constant since the coming of Covid 19.
In February of 2020, working with the Marion County Health Department, we determined that the food bank could no longer allow Neighbors to shop for groceries inside the building. In response, Food Bank Volunteers began to pre-fill insulated bags provided by Western Associates with groceries and supplies for small or larger families. The bags were then placed (by volunteers) in vehicles of neighbors who drove around the building and parked at the front door. Volunteers use carts on which groceries were loaded and then deposited in Neighbors’ vehicles. Loading the bags and then lifting them into vehicles has proven to be very hard work.
The “Drive Through” delivery system will likely continue to be used after the Covid pandemic is conquered, because it avoids the crowding that occurred when Neighbors shopped inside. The staff of volunteers continually has thoughts about how the operation can be improved. It is that activity that has caused the Food Bank Board of Directors to think about “What’s Next”?
Currently when a load of groceries/supplies arrives from the Wichita Warehouse, volunteer women and men unload pallets case by case and piece by piece into the store room on the west end of the building. At a later time or date volunteers bring groceries/supplies from the storeroom into the center room where individual items are shelved. On distribution days (Monday morning and Thursday evening) groceries are loaded into insulated bags which are on carts which are lined up close to the front door and then placed into Neighbors’ vehicles.
Improvements have been made during the past five years which have made the operation more workable. Gene Winkler has built a “handling table” used for packaging produce from the Community Garden, sacking cookies into bags of 12, and other tasks for which table space is required. Gene also built the shelves in the store room from what used to be the platforms used as a stage. Ramps from one level of flooring to another in the old gas station are another of Winkler’s contributions. The Drive Through delivery system and the need for a more efficient way of moving groceries and supplies from place to place could be still better.
Until just recently all of the refrigerator/freezer units used by the FB were donated by people who no longer needed them. In the past several months the bank has received large donations from area corporations and have been recipients of grants from private and public entities. Money not spent on inventory was used to purchase three upright two door commercial freezers and one upright two door commercial refrigerator. No longer do our volunteers have to go “pearl diving” in an old chest type freezer. We are forever grateful to the Kansas Dairy Association through Wiebe Dairy of Lincolnville, Amazon for the “Million Dollars to Feed America” program, and the CARES - Covid relief grants from both the City of Marion and Marion County. We continue to enjoy the tremendous on-going contributions and support from our Marion County businesses like Carlson Grocery, Barkman Honey, and so many more.
Before all the large donations and grants began to flow toward our food bank, the FB Board of Directors began talking about long term needs. Most often board discussion turned toward the inefficiencies dictated by our facility. In spite of all the shelves, ramps and tables built by Mr. Winkler, moving inventory from a delivery truck into the west storeroom, then moving and shelving that inventory in smaller quantities into the center room, then placing that same inventory in insulated bags which have been placed on carts for distribution to Neighbor’s vehicles; the result is much like this sentence INEFFICIENT!
During the global pandemic, the Food Bank Board has been blessed to be presented with the possibility of moving to or building a more efficient facility through the partnership with MAC and National Charitable Community Foundations.
The Board has determined after this exploration process, the best possible path to the future is to acquire property and construct a building specifically designed to support our new food delivery distribution system. One that minimizes health risks and concerns for both our volunteers and neighbors. The Marion County Food Bank Board and the Marion Advancement Campaign Board of Directors have approved these plans.
We are blessed to be able to announce that through a tremendous gift/sale of a parcel of land at below market value by an out of town owner, the future site of the Marion County Resource Center and Food Bank will be 900 E. Main. A very accessible and convenient location at the intersection of Main and Cedar in Marion, Kansas.
As the Food Bank Board continues to finalize design of the future more efficient building and secure financing through grant opportunities, The Marion Advancement Campaign board will finalize the acquisition of the parcel and begin the process of preparing the property as a construction ready site. This process will include the demolition of the former salon and apartment, which is expected to occur by the Thanksgiving Holiday timeframe.
We believe this is the proper time to more forward on a project of this nature. The benefits to our “Neighborhood” are tremendous and enhances the “Community Experience” for our volunteers and neighbors for many years into the future.
We are honored, blessed and extremely appreciative to be an active and progressive partner in this amazing Marion County “Neighborhood”.
Our mission has been and will always be to fulfill the words of Isaiah 58:10
“if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.”
Thank you for working together to make our community shine like the brightest Noonday sun.