Amazing delivery brings needed light to program critical to those in need
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
STOCKTON — The food ministry in Stockton received a shipment of a sweet treats last week — a large shipment of Zingers, the raspberry snack cake covered in coconut.
They received 56 pallets of this cousin to the Twinkie. That's 105 cases to a pallet, six boxes to case, 10 individually wrapped Zingers to a box.
Do the math: That's 352,800 cream-filled delights. If you stretched those end to end, that would cover about a mile and a half.
The Zingers are being stored in a shed with pallets stacked 10 feet tall. Thursday, during one of the pantry's giveaways, people were loading them onto trailers, stuffing them into trunks and wheeling them away on dollies — in Stockton, Kansas, a community of just 1,300 people.
The Zingers are past their best-by date, so the items could no longer be sold. However, the treats are perfectly good to eat.
Although the thought of that many filling-stuffed snack cakes might elicit a giggle, the delivery is part of a larger, very important, food program in rural Kansas called Convoy of Hope.
Stockton United Methodist Church Pastor Ted Stapleton coordinates the food drop at the Pantry of Blessings in Stockton, a program that has been in operation for about four years.
The name for the program comes from a story in the Bible about a widow going to the pantry, who never ran out of flour.
"God is doing that with this," Stapleton said. "Everything we bring in is something people need or can use."
Convoy of Hope connects sites like the Pantry of Blessings with manufacturers or businesses that have overstock or, in the case of the Zingers, are reaching a best-by date.
Stapleton said an incredible amount of food in this country is thrown away — food that could be feeding people.
The Pantry of Blessings only pays for the shipping cost to get the products to Stockton. This typically ranges from $600 to $2,000, depending on how far the load has to travel. The program takes donations to pay for the trucking expenses. Stapleton said God always comes through with enough funds to get trucks to Stockton.
When Stapleton first started the program in northwest Kansas, he was taking whatever vehicle he could find to bring back food, including renting a U-Haul. Now, the program receives food by the semi load.
The pantry usually gets a shipment once every three months.
"Basically, we're bringing it out rural America instead of it all going to the cities," Stapleton said.
He said it is like Christmas when they open up the truck, because they never know what they're going to receive. The last shipment was protein bars. It's also been water, Gatorade, cereal, tortillas and rice, among other products.
The Zinger shipment was unusual in that the program received such a large quantity of all one item, Stapleton said.
During the pandemic, Pantry of Blessings received produce shipments from the federal government. The government was buying those commodities straight from farmers, and the government paid for the shipping on those trucks.
"Most people don't understand that poverty is reality," Stapleton said, "and when times get tough, we don't get enough food. We are not feeding our families well enough. If I can bring product in that will help people, then it's well worth it."
Pantry of Blessings is connected with food pantries and churches across the region. The food helps supplement what the pantries can offer to their clients.
Diana Koerner and a friend made the drive to Stockton this week and brought back a carload, about 54 cases, of the Zingers to Hays. They delivered to the Hays food banks, Hays High School, Thomas More Prep- Marian, the Fort Hays State University food pantry, Hays Senior Center and Homestead of Hays, among other organizations.
The Ellis Food Pantry also received a load of Zingers. Althea Cross, volunteer, said the food pantry doesn't usually receive sweet items. It prepares 6o to 74 food boxes each month for local families.
Loren Goodheart, Pantry of Blessings volunteer, said he has delivered Zingers to the Norton Correctional Facility, hospitals, senior care homes and day cares.
As of Thursday morning, the program had about 40 pallets of Zingers left.
Food from Stockton, has also gone to Bird City, Goodland, Colby, Nebraska, Smith Center, Beloit and other communities.
"In rural America, it's just about making sure we're taking care of each other," Stapleton said.
Once charitable organizations and pantries have been served, the pantry offers the remaining food to local individuals and families. There are no income restrictions — people are just handed the food.
"We wanted to make it so as many people could be served as possible," Stapleton said. "We are not making a judgment on who needs it and who doesn't because nobody knows the reality of anybody's life.
"We are humbled to continue to be able to get the product and share it like we do."
Stapleton said he rarely does interviews. The program is not about him, it's about the smiles on people's faces when they receive food. He said program is about offering glory to God.
"It's in God's hands," he said. "We'll do this as long as God wants us to, and when he decides that we're done and we've done all that we can, then it'll stop. But until that moment, we're going to keep doing what we do."
Anyone interested in donating funds to pay for the program's trucking costs can donate to Pantry of Blessings, in care of Long Island Methodist Church, 524 W. Washington Ave., Long Island, KS 67647.