Coldwater
Programs

Coldwater’s Friends Day Food Pantry is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays January through October, the first and third Saturdays in November and December, and by appointment during the week. Known as Friends Days, the Saturday food pantries also include the Senior Mobile Pantry for 35 to 50 homebound individuals and a Hot Lunch Program that distributes prepared carryout meals for families who visit the food pantry.

Those who visit the food pantry receive two to three bags of groceries, bread, hygiene items, dairy, and produce. The Food Pantry distributed more than 200,000 pounds of food every year. Coldwater purchases food for the pantry from Harvesters, where as little as $5 can buy 50 pounds of food, equivalent to approximately six bags of groceries. The pantry also receives food and hygiene donations from individuals, organizations, businesses, and churches.

Other programs that function through the Food Pantry are the Little Blessings Diaper Distribution, School Supplies Distribution, and Christmas Adoptions.

An appointment is required to visit the Food Pantry during the week. Appointments can be made by calling our office at (816)-786-0758.​

Coldwater volunteers deliver groceries to 35 to 50 homebound, food-insecure individuals on scheduled Friends Days. They receive two grocery bags each Friends Day Saturday, plus turkeys and side dishes at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The Coldwater Clothes Closet is available to serve residents in Lee’s Summit and surrounding cities facing hardships by offering free clothing assistance. In conjunction with the food pantry, the Clothing Closet is open two Saturdays a month on Friends Day.

Families attending Friends Day can find clothing items for the entire family, from newborns to senior citizens, including shoes, socks, and coats. The Clothes Closet also has bed linens, blankets, and towels. Over 500 clothing items are given out every Friends Day.  

At Coldwater, we want to make sure any person or family in need of clothing receives assistance. An appointment is required to visit the Clothes Closet during the week. Appointments can be made by calling our office at (816)-786-0758.

Coldwater distributes Coldwater No Hungry Kids! Food Packs to the Lee's Summit School District early education programs and elementary/middle schools.
Coldwater provides 300 food-insecure students who might otherwise go hungry on the weekend with a weekend food source each school year.  This program provides 9,600 food packs containing around 30,000 pounds of nutritious food.  Each food pack includes breakfast items, canned and packaged meals, milk boxes, fruit/applesauce cups, and snacks.  Volunteers prepare these food packs on Thursdays during the school year and distribute them to the schools.​

“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.” 

Anthony Bourdain

What started out as coffee and donuts for friends visiting the Food Pantry and Clothes Closet quickly evolved into a hot meal twice a month. Volunteers prepare nutritional carryout meals for those who visit the Saturday food pantries. All meals include protein, vegetables, and fruit. They are designed to ensure these families receive at least two nutritious meals a month, plus they model a well-balanced meal for them. In 2011, the Hot Lunch Program received the Harvesters Circle of Hope Award for its on-site meal program. Over 300 meals are served each Friends Day.

Each Tuesday during June and July, Coldwater volunteers get together to host BBQs for low-income neighborhoods. Around 250 meals are prepared and served each Tuesday! The food is prepped at Coldwater and then delivered to each location where Coldwater fires up the grills. Volunteers can help with prep, serving, or both. This volunteering opportunity is ideal for church small groups, Rotaries, scout troops, school teams, and local businesses.

Summer Lunches is part of Coldwater's No Hungry Kids! Program. Coldwater provides more than 200 sack lunches each weekday in two Lee's Summit neighborhoods Monday through Friday, June through mid-August. Volunteers prepare the lunches at our main location and then distribute them to each site. On top of lunches, volunteers bring along a mobile library and toys for the kids to enjoy.  

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Register to Volunteer HERE!​

At Christmas, Coldwater adopts more than 600 children whose families register them through the Food Pantry. Generous families, churches, and businesses adopt the children, providing gift items valued at around $75 for each child.

More Information Coming Soon!

In July Coldwater distributes backpacks of school supplies to children whose families visit the Food Pantry for assistance. Families are asked to register their children so volunteers can personalize the backpacks of supplies for the children’s grade levels.

Coldwater’s newest program, Little Blessings, provides 50 diapers or 30 training pants each month for children whose families sign up through online registration. Families are referred to the program through the Food Pantry. This program also is available to families referred by teachers who work with early childhood programs in the Lee’s Summit School District.​