11/27/2025
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What started as a conversation in the Anderson County Communication Center about the possible implications of the Government Shut-Down locally, blossomed into something truly beautiful.
For the last month, we asked the Anderson County Fire Departments and their Chiefs if we could borrow their Fire Stations as a drop-off zone for a food drive. Those Firefighters brought in 335.65 pounds of food items for donation to ECKAN so that the items stay local. We could not have filled that table without them.
Then we contacted members at Hope Anthem Church and the Colony Community Church about filling the needs for perishable items that rarely get donated. They pooled resources, and Sheriff's Chaplain Stan Milliken reached out to Weston Borntrager at 7th Street Grocery to fund Gift Cards that can be taken to the 7th St Grocery Store for those perishable items.
This massive movement to "Feed Our County" would not be complete without also pointing out that we've sent a total of five deer through the New Deer Policy to be processed at ANCO Processing over the last two weeks. Each deer accounts for 30-50 lbs of ground meat available to those in need in our County.
Thank you so much to everyone who donated. Thank you to everyone who has made that conversation in Dispatch into a reality and affecting the lives that need it the most during the holidays.
Special thanks to Anderson County Kansas Fire and Emergency Management, Cruz Gillespie for all your help running items to the Sheriff's Office, to the Congregations of Hope Anthem Church and Colony Community Church, to 7th Street Grocery and Weston Borntrager, and ANCO Processing and Rosanna Bauman.
Happy Thanksgiving!