Poverty and Johnson County. The two seemingly don&#8217;t go together.</p><p>But stop by Shawnee Community Services in Shawnee, as I did last week, and witness the need yourself.</p><p>All day long, you will see people who lack food or other necessities of daily life.</p><p>Often they are met at the door by Evelyn Van Kemseke, who founded Shawnee Community Services 19 years ago. Once they explain their needs, the agency does what it can. Simple as that.</p><p>The inside of Shawnee Community Services, a former convenience store at 11110 W. 67th St. in Shawnee, resembles a thrift store. It has rows of blankets, jeans, shoes and pillows. Van Kemseke charges a nominal fee for most items. She uses the revenue to help people pay their utility bills or rent or mortgage payments.</p><p>&#8220;There are 27,000 people in Johnson County that live at or below the poverty level,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Van Kemseke grew up dirt poor herself in Shawnee.</p><p>&#8220;I knew hunger in a terrible way,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That feeling stayed with me. I wanted my chance to do something important, to make a real difference.&#8221;</p><p>She makes a difference each day. Her volunteers fill boxes with flour, bread, fruit and vegetables. They are given to about 60 people who regularly count on the agency.</p><p>Last Tuesday, a family of three adults and three children arrived in the Kansas City area from South Carolina. They were temporarily living in their van.</p><p>&#8220;We gave them food, blankets and clothes,&#8221; Van Kemseke said. &#8220;We gave them the kinds of things they&#8217;ll need until they figure out what they&#8217;re going to do here.&#8221;</p><p>Van Kemseke&#8217;s operation has outgrown its current building. The parking lot is so full it&#8217;s hard to find a space. She wants to tear down the structure and build a $1.2 million facility on the site. She&#8217;s already raised more than $100,000 and needs another $100,000 before construction can begin.</p><p>Van Kemseke praised her volunteers. Twenty of them scour grocery stores every day for produce.</p><p>&#8220;We have several hundred volunteers,&#8221; she said. &#8220;They&#8217;re fabulous.&#8221;</p><p>Now it&#8217;s time for someone else to step up. There&#8217;s plenty of wealth in Johnson County. Someone or some company should donate the money Van Kemseke needs to build her new headquarters. She needs help to be able to continue the good work she does for the community. Even in Johnson County, people stumble and fall. When they do, Van Kemseke provides a safety net that keeps them from falling even further.