There has been little in the way of change at Abundant Harvest, at least operation-wise, since the United Way of the Flint Hills overtook operational control and oversight of finances late last month.
According to United Way Director Daphne Mertens, the past few weeks have mainly been spent getting staff up to speed and ensuring operations continue unimpeded at this time.
Mertens says when it comes to services offered at Abundant Harvest, including meal distributions and food giveaways, she has not been made aware of any schedule changes as of now. KVOE News has reached out to Emporia Rescue Mission Board President Peter Deblonk for an update from the board’s perspective.
The United Way’s involvement began back in August, shortly after it was announced that the Rescue Mission was planning to close Abundant operations by October 1. The United Way and City of Emporia quickly went into action and developed an agreement with the Rescue Mission, which saw the non-profit assume oversight over operations, with the city contributing $25,000 to continue Abundant’s operations through the remainder of the calendar year.
That is the short-term plan, as for the long-term, the United Way is continuing conversations with community partners for potentially taking over the work of Abundant Harvest starting next year. According to Mertens, there could be an announcement to that end by either late November or early December.
If you recall, Mertens and City Manager Trey Cocking stated either a single entity or multiple could be tapped to handle the work of Abundant Harvest going forward. During a recent interview with KVOE News, Mertens stated it is looking more like it will be a “piecemeal” operation with various organizations playing a role of some kind.
KVOE News will continue to bring updates on the status of Abundant Harvest operations as they develop.
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By: Tagan Trahoon
October 14, 2025 | 3:33 PM