Love in Mankato event gives school supplies, baby items to families in need

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - With a new school year just around the corner, community members are coming together to help families in need of supplies.

House of Worship hosted its sixth annual Love in Mankato distribution event Sunday afternoon in Sibley Park. Love in Mankato donates essential items to anyone in the community.

“We’re just loving on our community. We want to show how much we appreciate Mankato itself and just give back to those people that live here,” stated event coordinator Tanisha Mathis.

Mathis said school supplies, diapers and clothing were among the items in highest demand this year.

“We’ve got diapers, baby clothes, formula, sanitary napkins. We have school supplies [and] backpacks that are filled with school supplies. We have clothing, shoes, purses, belts,” Mathis explained.

Attendee Micah Meyer added, “They can get all of this stuff free, literally no cost at all.”

Thousands made their way around the park, stopping by barns and picnic shelters to shop for the free goods in store-like settings.

Meyer mentioned, “I’ve seen family [and] lots of guests here. I’d give it a nine and a half out of ten. That’s how busy it is here today.”

All items were supplied by local donors.

Mathis stated, “We have gotten people from around Mankato to help sponsor, give.”

Mathis said it’s special to help make parenting through the pandemic a little easier.

“Just to see the families come and just to be walking around and saying hey, we have this, please come receive, and it warms my heart, it really does,” Mathis explained.

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