Residents Lark and Carli hold produce delivered to Kennett Area Community Service food bank
A pandemic will not stop the residents at Kendal~Crosslands Communities from living their values of helping others in their local community. Over the past few weeks, the residents at the Kendal at Longwood campus donated groceries at a specific dollar amount through their Culinary Department grocery order system. Grocery items were purchased and delivered to the Kennett Area Community Service’s (KACS) food bank.
“For over ten years, we’ve held customary annual food drives for KACS,” says Lark Worth, resident at Kendal at Longwood and co-chair of the Kendal Food Sharing Committee. “The pandemic curtailed our efforts a bit, but our Food Sharing Committee got creative, and after working with our Culinary Department, we were able to provide a viable solution,” says Worth.
Because of the pandemic, the community established a new grocery order system for the residents last year. Still, in use, the program provides a safe way for residents to order various, sundry grocery items through their kitchen services. Once ordered, the items are delivered to their cottage or apartment door. As a result, the residents obtain much-needed items without the risk of infection traveling to many public places.
This year, the food drive creativity included the option for residents to purchase a grocery food box with a value of $10. Then, the community coordinates with KACS on what grocery items they need and delivers them to KACS. “We are happy to join with the residents to fulfill the critical needs of food insecurities in our community and working with KACS to acquire essential groceries,” says Steve Wandishin, Culinary Manager at Kendal at Longwood. Due to this program’s success, the Kendal Food Sharing Committee will be looking for ways to share this opportunity with the other campuses, including Crosslands, Coniston, and Cartmel.
Helping citizens in the Kennett area is a value deeply rooted since the community’s inception. For over 45 years, Kendal~Crosslands Communities prepares the lunches distributed through the Kennett Area Meals on Wheels Program. Also, residents who grow fresh produce in their gardens share their abundant harvest with KACS (called the Gleaning Garden Project). The community prepares over 7,000 meals, and the residents grow over 630 pounds of fresh produce yearly.
