By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
The St. Joseph Mustangs baseball team is doing its part to help with food insecurity during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Mustangs' owner Ky Turner says the idea came when manager of the ice arena, April Wyatt, suggested converting the little red library between Bode and Phil Welch Stadium into a mini food pantry
Turner says for both the Mustangs and Bode, sports is great, but the community is the reason they are there.
"The people who come to our games or go ice skating, I mean this is us, this is our community, our community doesn’t end with that last out of an inning, it continues on,” Turner tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “And so, we are the St. Joseph Mustangs, so St. Joseph and that surrounding area to us is so important.”
Turner says the community is why the Mustangs are there, and it's the people that make the experience special
"When the people have a need, it’s our responsibility to step up and assist when and where we can,” Turner explains. “And so, with this opportunity what we’re doing now is we’re monitoring the food that is taken, we’re suggesting hey I’m not going to tell you what you can or can’t take, take what your family needs, but also leave enough for the neighbor behind you who might need something.”
Turner says the box is also open for people to drop off non-perishable food items, and if it's full food items can be dropped at Phil Welch Stadium or Bode Ice Arena.
Turner says even with the protentional of the shutdown ending, and SNAP benefits resuming, he could see this continuing
"This time of year is never easy for anybody, and so yeah I can definitely see this something that going forward that we can continue regardless of where the government shutdown, assuming it will eventually end otherwise it will be complete anarchy come the next Mustangs season,” Turner says. “But at that point I don’t think the need for help really stops.”
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