Feeding Hays fills empty stomachs

Story by ADIA REYNOLDS Photos by RORY MOORE

Tiger Media Network

Feeding Hays is a hunger prevention initiative founded by St. Michael’s Episcopalian Church with the aim of caring for the community they’ve been planted among. The program has been run by Benjamin and Nikki Houchen for almost three years. According to Ben, Feeding Hays can serve up to 200 or 220 meals on a normal night.

Volunteers rotate between preparing, cooking, bagging, and serving food. Each meal comes with an entree of spaghetti, carrots and ranch, garlic bread, and a cookie for dessert. The food is prepared in stations, with two volunteers manning each. Handmade, warm meals are the lifeblood of Feeding Hays. 

“We decided we wanted to make this work. If we wanted to do this we wanted them to be real meals,” Ben said when asked about the motivations behind Feeding Hays. 

This organization fills a unique niche in the community. Here, people can find a warm meal, whereas other solutions to food insecurity offer food but no means to cook it. Here, people receive warmth both in the form of food and the outreach of empathetic neighbors. 

Patrons can attend in-person or pre-order meals to skip the lines that sometimes stretch onto the street. Pre-orders can be made at (785) 259-2851.

Ash McKinley, a long-time volunteer who is considered by many to be the ‘face’ of Feeding Hays, takes the pre-order calls. These pre-orders constitute 90% of the meals Feeding Hays prepares, but it is not required. All a hungry participant needs to do is pull up to the drive-thru at the front door of the church and tell McKinley how many mouths need to be fed. 

Feeding Hays follows a ‘no questions asked’ policy. Anyone can receive a hot meal, and no one is forced to justify why they are there. Whether it be parents running between afterschool activities, college students, or people from low-income backgrounds, all are welcome. Feeding Hays even has specific outreach programs that extend to the Women’s Shelter in Hays.

Three mouths who have put aside their own interests to volunteer alongside the adults are kid collaborators Griffon, Mia, and Liam. All three have been involved for at least a year with the program, carrying food out to cars and providing a front-facing image for Feeding Hays. 

Mia claims she was spurred by an urge to help.

“I felt called to do it…It’s a really great thing that they’re doing,” she said. 

There are a variety of ways interested parties can get involved. Donations are always appreciated, whether they be financial or foodstuffs. They also partner with Dillon’s to prevent food waste, receiving donations of fresh bread. Volunteers can also put time and effort into preparing the meal kits every Thursday from 5-7:00 pm. 

Those interested in volunteering can contact Feeding Hays at (785) 259-2851 or through the Corq app for students.