Volunteers load potatoes during a previous potato drop at Grace United Methodist Church. This year, people can pick up a load of potatoes for free from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, or until supplies run out.
Potatoes are one of the holiday season’s most versatile foods — from mashed to baked, fried to worked into a casserole, the ingredient finds its way into a wealth of seasonal recipes.
And this weekend, local residents have the chance to pick up a few pounds of the tubers for free.
Grace United Methodist Church will host its potato drop from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, or until organizers run out of supplies. The church has arranged to have 40,000 pounds of potatoes available; all participants need to do is drive up and have a sack loaded into their car.
“People can simply come in their cars, and we’ll load them up. Whether people want to give them to their neighbors, or give them to folks who may be struggling this time of year, or need them for themselves — that’s why we do this,” said Andy Kinsey, pastor at Grace United Methodist Church. “There are people who are food insecure in our community. This is just a small way that we at Grace Church have found to be helpful.”
The church has hosted the potato distribution since 2012. The event started as an outreach of its men’s ministry, as they ordered the potatoes from Wisconsin, helped unload them in the church parking lot and organized the drive-up distribution for people.
Donations and support from the church community helps to pay for the potatoes, and ensures that people who need them can pick them up for free.
The potato drop fits into a focus for the church in addressing food insecurity in the community.
“We’ve been able to address it and work with others in the community to raise awareness, and then do what we can to help,” Kinsey said. “Whether that’s the potato drop, or the Christmas Day dinner, Soup’s On or working with the Johnson County Food Council, it just seems we come back to it.”
No registration is necessary — people who arrive at the church on Saturday will be directed to its east parking lot, where volunteers will direct the cars and distribute the potatoes.
The distribution will happen regardless of the weather, Kinsey said.
“We have 20 tons of potatoes coming from Wisconsin, so we have to get these to people,” he said.
