KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Representatives of organizations that collect and hand out food to hungry people in the Kansas City metropolitan area made an urgent appeal Friday for donations.

Food pantries throughout the area have been running out of food and have been having to turn people away.

A Salvation Army food pantry in Grandview, Mo., closed earlier in the week, leaving the about 500 people who relied on the pantry and their families in need.

At Harvesters, a clearinghouse for the collection and distribution of food to the nonprofit agencies that hand out the food to people, showed its nearly empty shelves Friday.

"Kansas City has never let us down. Please help us in any way that you can," said Carla Brewer, of the Don Bosco Center.

People who in the past have donated food to others are now in need of help themselves because of the rising prices of food and fuel, Brewer said.

"Get together in the office. If you all decide you're going to help, thrown that money together, go out and buy cases of food. That's what we need. We need cases. We need palettes. The shelves here are empty."

Monetary donations can be made online at Harvesters Web site." Non-perishable foods can be donated at area Price Chopper stores.