Typically, most of us would likely think of seeds as tiny (or, in some cases, not so tiny!) items placed in the dirt, with the hope of their growing into beautiful green or floral plants or veggies for our tables.
In reality, though seeds have also come to be considered as “ideas” that can, with the right support, grow into amazing companies, organizations, or products.
Mimi’s Pantry and the new Mimi’s 4 Kids both started with a “seed” of an idea in the mind of our founder and president, Dennis Curtin. On June 1, Mimi’s Pantry will celebrate its fourth anniversary as one of the most innovative and successful food pantries in the metro area. Our motto, “Families Feeding Families” reflects the pantry's mission to provide food rich in nutrients and quality to fit any table!
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Our guests are welcomed into a bright, clean facility, where they pick up a green Mimi’s grocery cart and shop the aisles to select just those products their family needs and will enjoy.
While Mimi’s has always been proud to offer beautiful, quality produce to its guests, beginning this summer the produce tables will include lettuce, kale, tomatoes, and other vegetables grown in the geodesic Growing Dome on the property!
Guests and volunteers will have an opportunity to help with planting, tending, and harvesting. In future years, an orchard of apple, pear, peach, and cherry trees, along with blackberry and bush cherry bushes, planted on the property on
April 7, 2023, will bear fresh fruit for the Pantry.
The ”seed” idea for Mimi’s 4 Kids was a vision of a safe and welcoming place for young students to receive help with homework and much, much more!
Imagine the pride and excitement for a boy or girl starting the first day of school with a new pair of sneakers…and having a new warm winter coat and gloves ready in their closet for that first cold day of winter.
Here, too, there will be a focus on nutrition – how snacks can fit that definition and be tasty, too.
Learn more about Mimi’s 4 Kids and meet its Program Director in the article later in this edition.
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The Mimi’s community of facilities and programs to benefit our Northland neighbors is growing, as is the need in our community! We invite you to join us, as we address the food insecurity and other needs of our Northland community.
Whether you are looking for a place to volunteer your time and experience or want to support us through donation, we welcome – AND NEED – your support now and in the future.
The links in this issue will take you to the right spot!
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INTRODUCING MIMI'S 4 KIDS! |
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On March 25 invited guests had an opportunity to tour the new Mimi’s 4 Kids (aka M4K), located at 3715 North Oak Trafficway. The Northland Chamber of Commerce was on hand, as well, to conduct a ribbon-cutting ceremony and welcome Mimi’s 4 Kids.
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Since then, program director Meshelle Stock has been busy putting the final touches on the nearly 6,000-square-foot space that will provide a plethora of activities and more!
Mimi’s 4 Kids will officially open with its first guest service offerings on June 1, 2023! This date coincides with the 4th-anniversary opening date of Mimi’s Pantry in Riverside!
June 1 is also the date that Meshelle and a select group of volunteers will begin in-take interviews for initial Northland students who will utilize the offerings at M4K.
Through surveys conducted recently at Mimi’s Pantry, several families have expressed interest in participating in the interviews and becoming guests at M4K.
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Note: A sign-up calendar for both volunteers and families desiring to use services will be posted on Mimi’s website by May 15 or so. Check www.mimispantrykc.org for it.
All services will be provided by appointment, during scheduled times to be announced. Initially, 4-6 20-minute appointments will be scheduled each hour. During the intake appointment, families will work with volunteers on the upper level of the facility, and, at the conclusion of the session, they will go downstairs to select special snacks.
In keeping with the spirit and practices of Mimi’s organization, any Northland residents (Clay & Platte Counties) will be eligible to apply and will be welcomed and served in an atmosphere of dignity and care.
As with Mimi’s Pantry, monetary donations are stretched much farther than what an individual can purchase for the organization with the same amount of money. That said, there will be times when requests will be made for specific needs, such as new coats, hats, gloves, sneakers, books, and other items identified through guests’ needs.
If you are interested in learning more about Mimi’s 4 Kids for your own family’s needs or know of a family who might have such a need, please contact Mimi’s Pantry (www.mimispantrykc.org or 816.735.0220) and note your interest in Mimi’s 4 Kids.
The links posted in this newsletter will take you to the applicable tab on Mimi’s website, where you can select either Mimi’s Pantry or Mimi’s 4 Kids to volunteer your time or make a donation.
Follow Mimi’s Facebook page and other social and news media sites for further information and updates!
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Meet Mimi’s 4 Kids’ Program Director - Meshelle Stock |
Meshelle Stock came to Mimi’s through her friendship with Board of Directors member Brian Johnston. She and her family live in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Following graduation from UMKC with a degree in psychology, Meshelle weighed her options and determined that therapy was not the path she wanted to pursue.
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That led to her future career in optics, where she was a trainer for optical equipment. Bonus…she met her husband, an optometrist while working in this realm!
After settling in the metro area, Meshelle went to work at Hallmark and continued working from home, after having her first son, as support for the field team manager and team of nine. Her responsibilities provided her with extensive experience in planning, organizing, and executing all meetings, travel, and events for this group. Once she left the outside workforce to raise her then two sons, she helped her husband establish his own practice, became PTA president, and devoted her time to all things “boy”!
With her youngest son approaching graduation from high school this spring, Meshelle was ready to embark on a new adventure and felt Mimi’s 4 Kids would be a great fit! She has jumped in with both feet…well, maybe only with one foot on the floor till recently, since she had Achilles surgery just after accepting her position, but certainly with her whole heart! Meshelle sees only great things ahead for this new addition to Mimi’s organization and is excited to see it become a true Northland community asset, along with Mimi’s Pantry!
Meshelle is currently finalizing the initial program offerings for the coming summer months, with an announcement of these and times scheduled for appointments soon. She also anticipates posting for various volunteer opportunities, including readers, homework helpers, stockers, and more.
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Thank you all for being a part of the Mimi's Pantry family! |
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