It was with bittersweet-infused gratitude that Humanity House accepted several pickup loads of food last week, courtesy of Marmaton Market.
The donation came after the Moran-based grocery store, which closed its doors amid mounting debt and poor sales, hosted a liquidation sale in Moran the weekend of Oct. 4 to get rid of its leftover inventory.
The sale went well, reported Marmaton Market board member Ken McWhirter, but not all of the goods were sold.
Those left over were donated to community pantries in Moran, Elsmore and Iola, including Humanity House and the Pregnancy and Family Center.
First, the good news. With the donation, the shelves and freezers at Humanity House are full, which should help meet higher demand, Humanity House executive director Barbara Button said.
But only for a while.
“For the most part, all of that food will be used within a couple of months,” Button predicted.
That’s because demand is higher than ever, Button said.
To wit, Humanity House sent out 50,000 lbs. of food to those in need in 2024, a 35% increase from the year before.
“Now, we’re 6% above those numbers already, and we still have a quarter of the year to go,” Button said.
The refrain sounds familiar, even from those who do not qualify for state assistance, such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program).
“We’ve heard from folks who have seen their SNAP reduced, or they no longer qualify,” Button said. “We even hear from folks who don’t qualify, but they don’t make enough for their income to cover both their bills and their food. There’s that gap, and that gap is growing.”
BUTTON is heartened that other aid agencies were able to benefit from the Market’s donations.
“If we’re at a point where we need space, or we can share with others, we will,” she said, “and they’ll share back with us
“Sometimes we all get a little focused on our world,” Button said. “But oftentimes, if I’m hurting, so are they. But we always share with each other when we can.”
