'Mom's Pantry' Gives Towanda-Area Families Food on Their Tables - KWCH

'Mom's Pantry' Gives Towanda-Area Families Food on Their Tables - KWCH

TOWANDA, Kan. (KWCH) Thousands of kids across Kansas do not know where their next meal will come from.

A group of four women is volunteering their time and money to making sure kids and families in the Circle School District have food. Linda Pierce is one of them and she is what some people might call an angel.

She runs a food pantry with her ministry group, Moms in Prayer. It is one several programs she leads, but ‘Mom’s Pantry’ started eight years ago with an after-school program.

“We realized the candy we brought for the kids, they were scooping it up and taking it home in their bookbags and we laughed and joked about it and said ‘no, no, no’ and they went ‘this is our supper’,” Pierce explained.

She knew then she needed to help.

“We’ve grown to the point where we’re spending $2-3000 thousand dollars every month buying groceries for 80-120 families in our midst,” Pierce said.

Those families come to Towanda Primary School once a month for a food distribution. Some even come from outside the district so they will have food to eat.

“I come the first of every month,” said Mary Luck. “I come every time they have it here.”

Athletes help, too, carrying food to cars and setting up each month.

“I think it reaches our kids too,” said Circle Schools Superintendent Don Potter. “They get the opportunity for civic engagement and being involved with our community to do those kinds of things too.”

Moms in Prayer needs thousands of dollars to help families each month. Pierce said they do not do any fundraising. They just rely on word of mouth and donations when they can get them.

She said she is grateful they are able to give back, though, even if it is out of their own pockets.

“How do you not be when you have grandmas that are 80 and say ‘I didn’t have any groceries until I came’ and the big old football player is carrying out her sacks just smiling and putting it in her car where she’s riding with somebody else,” Pierce said.

If you would like to help Mom’s Pantry, email Linda Pierce at lindiann03@yahoo.com.