Kansas

Kansas food pantry monitors growing need with SNAP cuts, food insecurity rises in WyCo

Published

5 months ago

July 4, 2025

Kansas food pantry monitors growing need with SNAP cuts, food insecurity rises in WyCo

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The U.S. House passed the “Big Beautiful Bill” package Thursday, which includes tax breaks, cuts to Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps.

Kansas food pantry monitors growing need as food insecurity rises in WyCo

The bill, for some, means a shift in how they live.

Republicans say the bill still provides help for those who need it, but claim it also targets waste, fraud, and abuse.

Patrick Semansky/AP

Light shines from the U.S. Capitol dome on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Local food pantries, including Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, are bracing for what the new legislation will mean for their clients.

They serve 21 northeast Kansas counties, with two food pantry locations in Wyandotte County.

“The population in Wyandotte County is the lowest income we serve,” said Denise Ogilvi, chief mission integration officer for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. “About 18% of the population in Wyandotte County falls below the poverty level. The poverty level in the state of Kansas is about $32,000 (of income per year) for a family of four.”

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas’ mission is to offer people of all faiths help, hope, and hospitality.

It’s food pantry locations are client choice, operating similar to a grocery store.

The downtown Kansas City, Kansas, location sits between what the United States Department of Agriculture classifies as a “Food Desert.”

KC Metro Food Desert Map — Areas highlighted in green indicate a food desert, according the USDA.

Earlier this week, MERC Co+Op, a grocery store in downtown KCK, announced it would suspend operations in December 2025.

“It was definitely needed. This is a food desert area,” said Paula Flattery-Aaron from the Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association. “We have one grocery store on 18th Street, then the rest are further west.”

paula flattery aaron.jpeg — Paula Flattery-Aaron, KCK resident who sits on the board of the Strawberry Hill Neighborhood Association.

According to the USDA, to be labeled a Food Desert a community must meet the low-income and low-access requirements.

Those include a poverty rate of 20% or greater, or a median family income at or below 80% of the statewide or metropolitan area median family income.

At least 500 persons and/or 33% of the population lives more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (10 miles for rural communities).

MERC KCK — MERC Co+Op in downtown Kansas City, Kansas

“You can imagine that if you can probably barely pay your rent on $32,000, you will probably need additional support to help your family,” said Ogilvi.

That’s where Catholic Charities comes in, with 150,000 visits to its food pantry locations last year.

This year, that number already jumped to nearly 175,000.

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas in KCK at 6th and Minnesota

“The need is definitely great,” added Ogilvi.

The republican backed federal legislation is expected to cut $230 billion from SNAP over the next decade.

The bill would require states to pay at least 5% of the SNAP program’s costs starting in 2028.

The program is currently federally funded.

Governors plead for food stamp flexibility amid pandemic

Historically, funding comes from passing a piece of legislation known as the Farm Bill.

The Farm Bill is a multi-billion dollar omnibus package, with nearly 80% of the farm commodity bill spent on nutrition programs like SNAP.

That legislation is two years past due for passage by Congress.

Combine — Guetterman Brothers Farm harvesting Soybeans near Bucyrus, Kansas.

In addition to new funding cuts, the Big Beautiful Bill would create tighter work requirements to be eligible for aid, raising the age requirement from 54 to 64.

It would also force parents with children older than six to meet the work requirements.

Parents with dependent kids at home are exempt.

KCK Family — Family in downtown Kansas City, Kansas.

“Most people only come to our food pantry once a month. They are going to need more food than what they get at our food pantry,” Ogilvi explained. “SNAP benefits provide about nine meals for every one meal that we can provide.”

Catholic Charities is continuing to gather data across the communities it serves to better understand the need.

They will begin having conversations on whether they need to budget more money for food, expand their current locations, or open more locations.

“What we can do is try to make sure that our door is always open,” added Ogilvi. “Not for profits can’t fill the whole gap.”

For more information on how to get involved with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, click here.

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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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Kansas

2025-26 Kansas State MBB: Game 6 vs Nebraska

Published

7 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

2025-26 Kansas State MBB: Game 6 vs Nebraska

The Kansas State Wildcats are officially entering the “pay-attention” neighborhood. After a 98-77 drubbing of a decent Mississippi State squad last night, the 5-0 Wildcats are starting to appear like a legitimately solid squad…one that could be capable of fun things if they can keep things rolling into the heart of the season.

They’ve got another big test tonight. The Cats will face the Nebraska Cornhuskers for the championship of the 2025 Hall of Fame Classic. The Huskers are also 5-0, and advanced to the championship game after an 84-72 win over New Mexico in the opening game of the classic. The Huskers are led by Fred Hoiberg, who is in his seventh season in Lincoln, and are looking for a return to the NCAA Tournament after winning the College Basketball Crown to end the 2024-25 season.

The last time these two teams met was Dec. 17th, 2023, when the Huskers beat up on the Wildcats 62-46 in Manhattan, a win that snapped a 7-game win streak for the Wildcats over their former Big 12 conference mates. But that K-State team was significantly more offensively inept than the current iteration of the TangCats. These TangCats are lighting up the nets with a return to the “fun” brand of basketball that marked Jerome Tang’s first season in Manhattan. And last night, the Wildcats showed they could even manage some defense more consistently than the final couple minutes.

This will be the biggest test yet for the Wildcats. A win would be a huge springboard into the heart of the season. A loss doesn’t hurt, as long as it’s productive. Can the Wildcats handle the quick turnaround and keep building?

We’ve got an 8:30pm CT tipoff for the championship game of the Hall of Fame Classic tonight from T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, and you can catch the action on NBCSN and streaming on Peacock with Steve Schlanger (play-by-play) and Tre Demps (analyst) on the call.

If you can’t access the stream, the game can be heard across portions of the 28-station K-State Sports Network with Wade Gerstner (play-by-play) and Clent Stewart (analyst) calling the action. The game will also be available online at K-Statesports.com and via the Varsity Network app, as well as on satellite radio at Sirius/XM Ch. 383. Live stats are also available at k-statesports.com, and social media updates (@KStateMBB) will also be a part of the coverage.

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Kansas

Kansas federal attorneys went 5 months without pay, sparking constitutional crisis

Published

2 days ago

November 20, 2025

Press Room

Kansas federal attorneys went 5 months without pay, sparking constitutional crisis

TOPEKA — For nearly 20 weeks, certain lawyers, paralegals, psychologists, interpreters, court reporters and investigators were not paid. Federal funding for a group of criminal justice professionals expired in early July, and the government promised to reimburse them in October, but the longest shutdown in U.S. history delayed that promise. As of Nov. 14, the […]

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Kansas

Boyfriend suspected of shooting at KCK home, killing woman: affidavit

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

Boyfriend suspected of shooting at KCK home, killing woman: affidavit

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Multiple shots were fired at a house where a Halloween party was taking place in a suspected domestic violence incident that killed a 20-year-old woman in Kansas City, Kansas, earlier this month, according to court records released Wednesday.

An affidavit released by Wyandotte County District Court details what happened in the early-morning hours of Nov. 1 at the Kansas City, Kansas, home, where Ana Juarez was fatally shot. The affidavit was filed in the case of 22-year-old Kevin Calamaco-Morales, who is accused of killing Juarez. Charging documents say the two were in a relationship.

Officers with the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department were called to the home on North 11th Street near Barnett Avenue just before 4:30 a.m. Nov. 1. Officers found Juarez with a gunshot wound to her lower back. She was taken to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Investigators interviewed witnesses inside the house and collected video, phone records and Facebook messages sent to the victim that led them to arrest Calamaco-Morales, according to the affidavit.

FOX4 has reached out to an attorney listed for Calamaco-Morales for comment.

Witnesses told police that Juarez went out with friends to Westport and some house parties for Halloween. Back at the house in KCK, they said they noticed Juarez was ignoring her phone, which was “blowing up” with calls or texts. Moments later, they heard gunshots, the witnesses said, and they took cover. Some of the witnesses stated that they saw Juarez getting up and opening the front door.

By the time the witnesses came out from hiding, police officers arrived, and Juarez was lying on the ground.

The house had been hit by gunfire, with some of the bullets entering the home. The victim’s car was also hit by a bullet with the driver’s side window shattered.

Charging documents say that at least one witness told police they believed Calamaco-Morales was involved in the shooting due to his attitude toward Juarez leading up to their Halloween plans. The witness claimed Juarez told them that Calamaco-Morales was controlling and that he initially didn’t want her to go out for Halloween.

Investigators obtained phone records that showed that a number registered to Calamaco-Morales called her 18 times between 4:21 and 4:23 a.m., according to the affidavit. The affidavit also says investigators recovered Facebook messages that were sent to the victim at 4:21 a.m.

Kansas City, Kansas, police took Calamaco-Morales into custody later that day for questioning.

Police also noted that at the address where Calamaco-Morales was taken into custody, they noticed a Honda Accord that was similar to the suspect vehicle they saw on a video that was captured near the shooting scene that morning. The video showed a vehicle parking in front of the home at 4:19 a.m. and a person exiting the passenger side and firing shots.

Charging documents say the Honda had a Kansas tag that was flagged by a license plate reader as being at Seventh Street and Quindaro Boulevard at 4:31 a.m., about nine minutes after the shooting and two miles from the scene.

Calamaco-Morales was arrested and Wyandotte County prosecutors charged him with first-degree murder and criminal discharge of a firearm on Nov. 3.

He remains in the Wyandotte County jail with bond set at $500,000.

The next court hearing is set for Dec. 16.

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