County Feed the Need effort under way

Demands for food assistance in Johnson County have increased 21 percent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period in 2008, and to help satisfy that need, the county recently kicked off its 2009 Feed the Need campaign.

The goal is to get 142 tons of food in either cash or food donations. Each donated dollar is approximately equivalent to four pounds of food.

Last year, the county set a record with a collection of 159.6 tons.

The annual two-week event helps to stock the shelves of 10 food pantries throughout the county. They are:

The pantries include:

• Blue Valley Multi-Service Center in Overland Park;
• De Soto Multi-Service Center;
• Spring Hill Multi-Service Center;
• North-Central Multi-Service Center in Lenexa;
• Gardner Multi-Service Center;
• Shawnee Community Services;
• Catholic Community Services, Mission and Olathe; and,
• Salvation Army and First Christian Church, both in Olathe.

In the first five months of this year, the five pantries operated by the Johnson County

Department of Human Services at multi-service centers in Overland Park, Lenexa, De Soto, Gardner, and Spring Hill Park has served 1,203 households, totaling 3,541 individuals. For the same period in 2008, 995 households (2,918 individuals) were served, representing a 21 percent increase.

Thus far in 2009, the pantries have filled 1,959 requests for food assistance, valued at

$145,527, compared to 1,631 requests with a value of $120,334 a year ago. In 2008, the county's five multi-service centers helped 2,033 households (5,954 individuals) with 4,137 requests for food pantry assistance valued at $306,595.

Slogan of this year's event is "Yes We Can Make a Difference."

Campaign co-chairmen are Jack Clegg, director of Johnson County's Informational Technology Services, and John O'Neil, general manager of Johnson County Wastewater. Both have visited the 10 food pantries that will benefit from the campaign and are fully aware of the increased needs for assistance during the current economic downturn.

"Every year, it gets bigger and better. We are prepared to make this year the best ever," O'Neil said. "There is a critical need in our county, more now than ever."

Clegg agreed.

"Feed the Need is an important fundraising campaign by Johnson County Government and serves an important role to the Johnson County community. There is a growing need to keep up with increasing requests for food assistance," he said. "Unfortunately, it's a need that's not going away."

The event kickoff featured fun and food from a variety of booths offering food items, games, craft sales, drawings for prizes, and donation opportunities. There was a dunk tank to test the skills of softball throwers, ranging from stellar to cellar, and the thrills and spills of platform sitters, including department heads and managers taking turns on the platform above the tank of water.

Other attractions included a motorcycle show and live entertainment in a USO show with three acts, including:

• The Andrew Sisters Redux, featuring LeeAnne Hays from the Legal Department and Tracey

Caton and Paula Whitehead from the Office of Financial Management with accompanist,

Brendan Kinsella, a professional musician with a doctorate degree from the University of

Missouri - Kansas City School of Music;

• The Cheese Sandwiches, formerly known as the Lit-a-gators, a band composed of local attorneys and one judge. The band plays rock, jazz, country, blues, and Broadway music.

Band members include local attorneys Jim Orr on keyboards; Ernie Ballweg on vocals and acoustic guitar; Dennis Stanchik on saxes; Roger Nordeen on electric guitar; and Court of

Appeals Judge (former Johnson County District Court Judge) Pat McAnany on bass; and,

• The Threes, a band formed in late 2006 of musicians from Kansas and Missouri. They include Rachel Jaggard from the Motor Vehicle Department, Zach Hodson, Ryan Ashmore, and Brent Richardson. The varied song arrangements and complex vocal harmonies of The Threes are versatile and include nerd-rock rhythm with a little punk, funk, and soul thrown in for flavor.

Johnson County's Feed the Need campaign debuted in 1987 with one county department and the collection of less than 1 ton of food. Since then, Johnson County Government has been a leading participant in the annual metropolitan

Feed the Need campaign since 1988. Feed the Need is a regional effort coordinated by the Mid- America Regional Council, the Mid-America Assistance Coalition, and Harvesters International.

The county's campaign ends on June 29.

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