Harvesters, Catholic Charities announce they will hold mobile food pantry at KCKCC-TEC on Saturday

Harvesters food bank has announced a new mobile food pantry site Saturday to be at the Kansas City Kansas Community College Technical Center parking lot, 6565 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.

Last Saturday, a mobile food truck did not go to another site at CrossRoads Family Church, 8822 Parallel Parkway, after the Unified Government notified Harvesters that there could be traffic problems.

Today’s announcement from Harvesters states that the mobile food pantry will be sponsored by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, a member agency of Harvesters, at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at KCKCC-TEC, 6565 State Ave. This event usually lasts a couple of hours.

The mobile food pantry will take place in the parking lot of the KCKCC-TEC.

The new location for the mobile food pantry is about 3.6 miles to the southeast of the CrossRoads Church.

The program’s sponsor at CrossRoads Church, Janice Witt, said yesterday she would no longer be involved with the mobile food pantry effort after the UG wrote a letter about traffic problems to Harvesters food bank. She disagreed that there were traffic problems.

She said this experience now is giving her the motivation to run for public office, the UG commissioner at large, 1st District position. She also said she was glad she had the opportunity to raise awareness that there are people in Kansas City, Kan., and western Kansas City, Kan., who are hungry.

According to Harvesters, volunteers from Catholic Charities and Harvesters will be on hand to distribute food to Wyandotte County residents in need of assistance. Catholic Charities will hold a mobile food pantry at this location on the second and third Saturdays of the month through December.

In Wyandotte County, one in five people are food insecure and at risk of missing a meal, according to Harvesters. Each month, Harvesters’ 65 member agencies in Wyandotte County provide food to more than 13,000 different people.

With the onset of cold temperatures, providing food assistance is especially important, according to Harvesters. Half of the households receiving food from Harvesters are working families, making difficult choices between paying for basics such as rent or utilities and buying groceries.

Moran to visit Bonner Springs Nov. 26 on listening tour

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., today announced that he will visit Bonner Springs as part of his Kansas Listening Tour on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

Area residents may attend and share feedback with Sen. Moran on the critical issues facing Kansas and the nation.

The issues Sen. Moran focuses on and the work he does in Washington, D.C., are largely based on the conversations he has with Kansans during these town hall meetings, according to a news release.

Since his election to the U.S. Senate, Sen. Moran has held a town hall in each of Kansas’ 105 counties.

Moran’s town hall meeting will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, at the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave., Bonner Springs.

Seven Blue Devils earn all-Jayhawk volleyball honors

KCKCC dominated the 2014 All-Jayhawk volleyball team as front row, from left, Lily Thornberg was co-setter of the year, Blair Russell most valuable, Mary Bruno co-coach of the year, and Andrea Aparico Libero of the year. They were joined by second row, Kailee Dudley, first team; Jasdel Gonzalez, second team; and Junelie Irizarry, honorable mention. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)
KCKCC dominated the 2014 All-Jayhawk volleyball team as front row, from left, Lily Thornberg was co-setter of the year, Blair Russell most valuable, Mary Bruno co-coach of the year, and Andrea Aparico Libero of the year. They were joined by second row, Kailee Dudley, first team; Jasdel Gonzalez, second team; and Junelie Irizarry, honorable mention. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s nationally tournament-bound Lady Blue Devils dominated the 2014 All-Jayhawk Conference volleyball team like no team in recent years, placing four players on the first team and sweeping most of the individual honors.

Outside hitter Blair Russell was named the 2014 the Most Valuable Player, Andrea Aparicio the Libero of the Year, Lily Thornberg Co-Setter of the Year and Mary Bruno Co-Coach of the Year.

Middle blocker Kailee Dudley joined Russell, Aparicio and Thornberg on the first team while outside hitter Jasdel Gonzalez was named to the second team and middle blocker Junelie Irizarry earned honorable mention. All are sophomores.

Russell, Thornberg, Aparicio and Dudley were also named to the seven-member All-District N Team while Gonzalez and Irizarry were named to the second team.

“Four players on the first team is the most we’ve ever and the six to receive post-season honors the most ever and reflects the hard work they’ve put in,” said KCKCC coach Mary Bruno. “The three who received the individual honors (Russell, Thornberg and Aparicio) spent the spring in the gym making changes that we had asked them to make. The awards may have come this fall but it was the spring season that helped them develop into the players they are today.”

Ranked No. 8 in the final Division II poll, KCKCC will go into the NJCAA national tournament seeded No. 7. The Blue Devils will open national tournament play against No. 10 seeded Glendale, Ariz., in Phoenix Thursday, Nov. 20, at 11 a.m.

Bruno and Riann Mullis of Cowley were named co-coaches of the year on the All-Jayhawk team. Other selections on the 10-member All-Jayhawk team included Julia Stringer and Kourtney Blaufuss of Fort Scott, Brianna Pontious of Johnson County, Lana DaSilva of Cowley, Polette Medina of Coffeyville and Halley Scott of Allen County.

A graduate of Marysville High School where she was all-state in volleyball, all-state honorable mention in basketball and a four-year qualifier in the Kansas state track and field meet, Russell finished fifth in the nation in kills (516) and eighth in average (3.94).

Thornberg, a Junction City standout, was fifth in the nation in assists per set with 10.74 per game; Dudley, a Lawrence Free State grad who transferred from Butler in July, finished 21st in blocks (1.24 per set) and 30th in hitting percentage (.317); and Aparicio was 21st in digs per set (5.54) and 22nd in total digs (693).
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director for KCKCC.