Catholic Charities Of Northeast Kansas Food Pantry
Who Can Visit?
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas serves the most vulnerable men, women, and children of all faiths across a 21-county service area. All services are based on need, not religion, gender, race, or nationality. Anyone who needs food help is welcome to come.
Good to Know
One visitor shared that when her car was stolen and she and her husband had nothing left, they walked in and were warmly welcomed, offered clean clothes and food. The pantry is part of a Family Support Center that provides a range of wraparound services beginning with emergency assistance. In fiscal year 2025, over $11.2 million worth of food was distributed to hungry individuals and families through the organization's food assistance programs.
Food & Essentials
The food pantry provides groceries and food items to households in need. Through the mobile food distribution events linked to this location, the community gets access to healthy perishable foods including fresh fruits and vegetables and refrigerated dairy items. Food is sourced from local food banks such as Harvesters Food Bank and may be supplemented with donated food from the Hope Distribution Center.
How to Pick Up
The Family Support Center food pantry serves clients who come in for emergency assistance. For the Mobile Food Distribution, Catholic Charities employees direct cars into two lanes in the parking lot. Boxes of food are loaded directly into car trunks. The trunks of the vehicle must be completely empty to receive a box of food. Food is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and cars are served until food runs out. Carpooling is allowed, and multiple households can be served from a single vehicle as long as at least one adult from each household is present.
Additional Support
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas offers more than 25 programs to help individuals and families. Some key supports available include:
SNAP Enrollment Help: Catholic Charities helps low-income families apply for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. SNAP provides monthly food benefits that can be used at grocery stores and farmers markets. To see if you qualify, text FOOD to 74544 or call the Kansas Department for Children and Families at 1-888-369-4777. There is no fee to apply.
Kids Summer Food Program: Free summer meals are available for children and teens ages 18 and under at sites across the service area, including Kansas City, KS locations. No application or sign-up is required. Meals are funded by the USDA. For questions, contact foodandnutrition@catholiccharitiesks.org.
Mobile Food Distribution: Every third Saturday of the month, a drive-up mobile food distribution takes place at the J.C. Harmon High School Parking Lot, 2400 Steele Road, Kansas City, KS 66106. Food is available from 9:30 AM to 11:30 AM. No identification or advance registration is needed. Any individual or family can come.
Financial Education: Programs such as Family Financial Transformations (FFT) help individuals and families reduce debt and build savings through individualized financial coaching.
Workforce Development: Employment services, skills training, and educational support programs are available to help remove barriers to employment.
Case Management and Housing Assistance: Family Support Centers provide case management, rent and utility assistance, and rapid re-housing support.
Facilities
When visiting the Family Support Center, guests may also receive clean clothes in addition to food, as part of the emergency assistance offered on-site.
Ways to Give
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas welcomes monetary donations and food donations to support their programs. You can donate online at catholiccharitiesks.org/donate. To send a check, make it out to Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas and mail it to: Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, 9720 West 87th Street, Overland Park, KS 66212. You can also join the M25 Monthly Giving Program to give a regular gift each month. To ask about a specific program donation or for help with your gift, contact Meg Turner by phone at 913-433-2033 or by email at mturner@catholiccharitiesks.org. 91 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programming.
How to Join the Team?
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas welcomes volunteers of all kinds. Volunteer opportunities include supporting Family Support Centers (ages 14 and up, 4 hours per week), helping with Mobile Food Distribution (ages 12 and up, 2 to 3 hours), sorting food at the Hope Distribution Center (ages 8 and up), and more. Core volunteers age 18 and older must complete VIRTUS Training and a background check for the safety of those served. To sign up, visit catholiccharitiesks.org/volunteer. For questions, email ccnekvolunteers@catholiccharitiesks.org or call 913-433-2100. Youth and group volunteer options are also available.