Cosentino’s Price Choppers and Jewish Family Services (JFS) are teaming up with the community to help address the growing need for food in Kansas City. JFS’ Food Pantry is monthly serving more than 900 families and their pets from its two locations, and the numbers continue to grow.
When you purchase a $5 or $10 “Buy One, Give One” card at 23 Cosentino’s Price Chopper stores, your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar by Cosentino’s. The cards will be available at the endcaps of each check-out aisle during the month of February.
“The Cosentinos are a local family that loves Kansas City and the people, and through the JFS Food Pantry, this promotion allows us and our customers to help feed families here in need,” said John Cosentino, co-owner of Cosentino’s Food Stores. “This is an innovative promotion that allows all of us — old and new customers, our employees and the Cosentino family — to come together to make a significant impact in addressing the growing food crisis.”
In the past year, the number of individuals, families with children and older adults seeking assistance from the JFS Food Pantry has doubled.
Here are some other facts about the current hunger situation in the Kansas City area:
Twenty-four percent of families with children in Kansas City struggle to put food on the table.
Prior to the pandemic, 1 in 8 people in the metropolitan area region were food insecure. Now the number is 1 in 6. The number of food insecure children has jumped from 1 in 7 to 1 in 4.
Many families do not qualify for federal assistance or their benefits are limited.
Government assistance often does not cover household and personal hygiene items.
Food insecurity in and around Kansas City has increased more than 40% in the last year
JFS has been proactive in responding to food insecurity in our community with its pantry offering fresh produce, dairy items, household items and pet food. Each month, JFS distributes more than 55,000 pounds of food to more than 900 families; a third of whom have pets. JFS relies on food drives and donations for 50 percent of the products it distributes. One in four individuals receiving assistance from the JFS Food Pantry also benefit from one or more additional services the agency provides.
For more information about the Cosentino’s “Buy One, Give One” promotion including a list of participating Cosentino’s Price Chopper stores, visit jfskc.org.
