Andover Community Food Bank reports summer-lunch distribution, thanks council grant

Misty Boatwright, president of the Andover Community Food Bank board, thanked the City Council for a grant that supported the food bank's summer lunch program and summarized how the funds and other donations were spent.

Boatwright told the council the program distributed 1,553 bags during the summer; each bag contained five individual lunch kits and a quart of milk. She said those distributions reached 93 unique families, and that families complete a simple intake form on their first visit listing child name, age and school for recordkeeping and required reporting to the Kansas Food Bank.

Boatwright said the food bank worked with the Andover School District's Terry Rombeck to target families enrolled in the district's free or reduced-price lunch program and that the food bank also secured outside grant funding. She said the Kansas Food Bank notified the group of a Cargill grant opportunity; the food bank received $3,574 from Cargill and raised nearly $10,000 from other donors to cover lunches this year.

Boatwright said volunteers pack and hand out lunches weekly, and that many recipients are foster families or grandparents raising grandchildren. She said the food bank will reapply for the city grant and welcomed council questions.

Councilman Ronnie Price asked about flyer timing; Boatwright said distribution of publicity generally begins in late April or early May so flyers do not get lost in backpacks. Price also requested the flyer via email, and Boatwright agreed to send it.

The council did not take further action on the presentation; Boatwright's remarks were informational and part of the public presentation portion of the agenda.