Michael Bushnell
Northeast News

For the second year in a row, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department partnered with HyVee Stores and hade the holidays a ham it up affair for 500 people who braved dreary weather and long lines Wednesday afternoon at KCPD’s East patrol Station.

This year however there was an added, extra twist to the event as Harvesters Community Food Network provided a host of side dishes for the event. Giving the Basics, another local non-profit also provided toiletries and personal hygiene items for those in attendance.

According to Jamie Stephens, Store Director for the Liberty, Missouri HyVee store, HyVee has partnered with Hormel and first responders to pass out 500 hams, with Hams for the Holiday promotion. “This year we’ll be in nineteen cities and over 5200 Hormel hams will be passed out in nineteen HyVee markets.”

KCPD Social Services Coordinator for East Patrol Trena Miller helped assemble the five-hundred hygiene bags for this year’s event, the station’s second and Miller’s first. “I’m really excited” she told The Northeast News. “This is such a great partnership and it’s a wonderful opportunity for outreach for our community.”

The event was also the first for the Department’s newly revitalized Chaplain program under the leadership of Community Interaction Coordinator Jason Cooley. According to Cooley, at least nine new Chaplains were on hand to assist in the giveaway and offer a listening ear to anyone with a need.

When it was all said and done, the ham, side dishes and hygiene bags lasted almost seven minutes longer this year than last year, culminating a full 38 minutes after it began with very few people being turned away.