LINC-supported food pantry efforts in the Fort Osage area have received 37,453 visits since January 2005. The efforts involve multiple locations and partners.

The LINC Fort Osage Emergency Food Pantry, located at Cler-Mont Elementary School, provides area families with enough food for 3-5 days including meat,  offered through a partnership with Harvesters. The emergency pantry hours of operation are Monday-Friday. Call 24 hours in advance for an appointment.

From 11:00 - 12:00  each Thursday (except the third one) the Cler-Mont pantry hosts a special food distribution in conjunction with the Panera Bread Co. Operation Dough-Nation program and Harvesters which may include bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and other items as available.

LINC Fort Osage Food Pantry served a total of 3,182 people and distributed 27,608 pounds of food from June 2012 to July 2013.

LINC also supports the Harvester's Mobile Food Market, which makes a visit on the third Monday of the month at Fort Osage Church of the Nazarene.

From June 2012 to July 2013, Harvester's Mobile Food Market received 7,380 visitors and distributed 88,401 pounds of food.

An average of 30 volunteers work at the pantry weekly.

LINC Fort Osage Pantry serves over 3,000 households in 2013

At the conclusion of 2013 3,363 households received food donations from the LINC Fort Osage Emergency Food Pantry.

In 2013, LINC Fort Osage Emergency Food Pantry operated as a 'high performing agency' in accordance to Harvesters guidelines of pantries which serve more than 750 people per month. The food pantry served over 800 people in January, April, June, and September of last year and over 1,000 people in May and November.

LINC Fort Osage Emergency Food Pantry distributed 45,848 pounds of food through the Harvester partnership at the conclusion of 2013. One meal equating to 1.2 pounds of food.   

Locations:

•  Emergency Food Pantry Cler-Mont Elementary School, 19009 Susquehanna Ridge Independence, Mo, Monday-Friday. Call 24 hours in advance for an appointment.  816-650-7365. 
•  Harvester's Mobile Food Market every third Thursday of each month, 1701 N. Salem Dr., Independence, Mo. Pick-up at Fort Osage Church of the Nazarene, 19333 E. US Highway 24, Independence, Mo.

Harvesters and Panera Dough-Nation distribution (not including the third Thursday of each month) from 11:00 - 12:00 at Cler-Mont Elementary School.

Fort Osage food pantry first began food distribution after the holiday season of 2004 when food remained from a November food drive. The LINC Fort Osage Food Pantry is now housed in what previously was the teacher's lounge at Cler-Mont Elementary.

The food pantry soon became a Harvesters site and initially received food during the holiday season to meet the needs of residents during that time. In the past year, the Harvesters Mobile Food Pantry Fort Osage Church of the Nazarene served a total of 1,755 families and distributed 88,401 pounds of food. 

 "This is a working neighborhood," said Tracy Luna, LINC site coordinator at Cler-Mont Elementary School. "Hardworking families having a hard time making ends meet."

Support for the LINC Fort Osage Food Pantry comes from many volunteers ranging from church parishioners to Boy Scout troops.

Connect with the LINC Fort Osage Food Pantry.