by BECKY GOFF
Little Apple Post
MANHATTAN - The Flint Hills Breadbasket has served the Manhattan and Riley County community since 1983, with the goal of minimizing hunger and poverty by making food accessible.
Executive Director Karla Hagemeister joined the Flint Hills Breadbasket in March and has been finding ways to make food even more accessible, and make the visits to the food pantry more like visiting a grocery store.
One of the ways she improved the experience was using a grant from the Dean Coughenour Trust to purchase a refrigerated cooler to display fresh produce and dairy products for clients to choose from.
"All of the food that is in this cooler right now is food that came from our local groceries stores over the weekend. We do a run every morning to the different grocery stores in town and pick up the food they are donating." Flint Hills Breadbasket, executive director, Karla Hagemeister says.
Previously, dairy and produce items were rolled out of the cooler on a metal rack, this new cooler gives the food greater appeal, and provides a safer way to offer these perishable items.
Hagemeister says the Flint Hills Breadbasket has been serving an average of 30 families per day since April.
The Flint Hills Breadbasket partnerships with local businesses and community members is what allows them to continue to serve the Riley County and Manhattan community.
If you’d like to donate to the Flint Hills Breadbasket, current needs include toilet paper and sugar. You can also make a monetary donation online, or purchase from their Charity Wish List.
The Flint Hills Breadbasket is located at 905 Yuma Street in Manhattan.