ARNOLD, MO (KMOX)--Some of you listening to KMOX Radio heard a local food pantry's urgent call for help, a message to fill bare shelves at the Gateway Food Pantry in Arnold. Now, almost a month later, the picture looks a lot different thanks to a generous community response.
When we first visited the pantry, it was on a busy distribution day. Vehicles lined up around the building as volunteers rolled carts to load food for the nearly 250 families the pantry serves weekly, including dozens of Boeing families impacted by a recent strike.
Director Patrick McKelvey described a grim situation. The pantry was in a crisis brought on by a March tornado and tough economic times, which had drastically reduced donations. The total value of the food on their shelves was down over $300,000 from the previous year.
The reserve warehouse—the safety net for the busy holiday season—was nearly empty. The pantry made a desperate plea, sending out empty bags to 20,000 households asking for donations.
The community, including KMOX listeners, responded with remarkable speed and generosity. In total, the pantry received nearly 30,000 pounds of food in a sudden influx of donations.
McKelvey noted that this is the first time Gateway Food Pantry has seen a significant pre-Thanksgiving/Christmas season bump in donations.
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While the recent generosity has been a lifeline, McKelvey cautioned that the pantry is still far from filling the $300,000 deficit in food value. However, the unexpected boost ahead of the holiday season is a much-needed morale boost and a practical help to the families they serve.