September 7, 2024

Mid-Continent Public Library’s Food for Fines program will return September 9–15, once again providing customers with the opportunity to pay off fines and fees with donations of nonperishable food items. Branches collect the donations, and at the end of the week, they are given to local food pantries across the metro. This is the 10th year MCPL has offered the program, and to date, the Library has collected more than 210,000 items for local charities.

“For more than a decade, we’ve been stocking local food pantries with our Food for Fines program, and that’s something we’re very proud of,” said MCPL Excelsior Springs Branch Manager Stephen Chalmers. “It’s tremendously gratifying to see the outpouring of generosity within our communities, and also to wipe so many customer accounts clean after they’ve had a busy summer of checking out items!”

MCPL offers the Food for Fines program twice a year—leading into the summer to encourage active participation in the annual summer reading program, and in the fall to alleviate any barriers for students seeking resources at the Library. Customers with no fines or fees are also welcome and encouraged to donate.

Suggested donations include boxed meals, canned food, peanut butter, cereal, and pasta. Donations must not be expired, damaged, open, or in a glass, plastic, or cardboard drink container. Each donated food item will count as $1.50 toward a customer’s fines and fees (up to $30).

Community partners in the metro and their associated library branches are: A Turning Point KC (Green Hills), Barry Christian Church Food Pantry (North Oak), Claycomo Citizen’s Alliance (Big Blue Pantry) (Claycomo), Coldwater of Lee’s Summit (Colbern Road), Community Assistance Council (Blue Ridge, Red Bridge), Community Services League (Administrative Headquarters, Blue Springs North, Blue Springs South, Buckner, East Independence, Farview Neighborhood Library, Grain Valley, Midwest Genealogy Center, North Independence, Oak Grove, and South Independence), Dearborn Community Food Network (Camden Point, Dearborn, and Edgerton), Feed Northland Kids (Antioch), First Christian Church Food Pantry (Smithville), Good Samaritan Center of Excelsior Springs (Excelsior Springs), Grace Episcopal Food Pantry (Withers), Grandview Assistance Program (Grandview), Helping Hands Food Pantry (Lone Jack), Kansas City Church (Woodneath), Kearney Food Pantry (Kearney), Lee’s Summit Social Services (East Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit), Mimi’s Pantry (Riverside), River of Refuge (Raytown), St. Therese Food Pantry (Parkville), Treasure Chest (Platte City), and Weston Community Food Pantry (Weston).