17 November 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita Public Schools helped United Methodist Open Door’s Turkey Drive on Friday morning at the Water Walk.
The district said schools have been collecting food items and will drop them off with fanfare, including marching bands, cheer teams, floats and big signs. There was also a competition between grade levels on who could collect the most.
Deann Smith, executive director of United Methodist Open Door Ministries, said the school district does a lot of the hard work to make things happen.
“It takes community to support one another. For many of these students, they have friends or maybe their own family that needs it, and so it just demonstrates, we all come together, do our part, and we can be a stronger community,” Smith said.
Smith hopes to receive over 2,300 turkeys and says they will serve about that amount in the days before Thanksgiving.
“If people need assistance, it is a 130% of the poverty guideline. There will be a drive-through. We will start at 9 a.m. or a little bit before at our place at Opportunity Drive, which is 2130 E. 21st St. N. It starts Monday at 9 a.m.,” Smith added.
The Wichita Public School District has participated in the event for 17 years.