The need is great and the food is plentiful. And many needy people come away satisfied.
That sums up what happens each month at Independence Christ United Methodist Church.
Just ask David Reyburn.
A member since 1995, Reyburn is a lay leader in the church. He helps coordinate the food drop.
On the third Thursday of each month, Reyburn and about 40 or 50 volunteers coordinate a food drop for hungry families.
On that day, a truckload of food arrives at the church, 14506 E. 39th St.
The suppliers are Living Bread Ministries, based in Blue Springs, and Harvesters in Kansas City. Both organizations have partnered with Christ United in the feeding the hungry effort.
Reyburn and the volunteers distribute the food to the people.
“We supply the means of distributing it,” he said, who added the event goes by the motto of “got it to give it.”
It all happens inside the church’s basement, which they call “the place,” located under the church’s sanctuary.
The volunteers unload the truck and sort the food, preparing and doling it out for the people.
The food is a combination of fresh produce and bread along with non-perishable items. A majority of the food is perishable.
"We work with more fresh food than we do packaged food,” he said.
And they get their share of rotten vegetables and fruit that they must separate to ensure no one gets bad food.
The church is not a food pantry. The church has been doing a food drop for about 1 1/2 years.
There are on average 275 to 300 families who come to the food drop. That equates to more than 1,000 people getting fed.
The number of people who show up at the event has increased.
Volunteers see new faces each month mixed with those who show up every month.
Reyburn can tell who’s new.
“You can tell who the folks are who just lost their job,” he said. “They’re very timid to come in. Not embarrassed, but prideful.”
Reyburn knows how to read people. After all, he works as a Kansas City police detective, assigned to the forgery section.
He’s a 25-year veteran of KCPD, spending 19 years “in and out” as a patrol officer.
The majority of the needy are not members of Christ United Methodist. The church does not use the food drop to recruit new members, Reyburn said.
“But we want them to feel blessed that they are getting this food with no obligations whatsoever,” he said.
The food drop has not seen a reduction in the amount of food from Harvesters and Living Bread.
“We average anywhere from six to eight tons that comes on one truck,” Reyburn said.
Any leftover food, which usually happens, goes to several area pantries, one of which is Hope House.
What drives Reyburn to participate is his steadfast involvement in the church. “God has put us here to help other folks,” he said.
The church will gladly accept groceries from the public to help out with the food drop.
For more information on how to donate, call the church at 816-461-1101.
