Food for Families: Mobile pantries serve community by bringing the food to them
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) -When you donate to the Food for Families Food Drive, you are helping our neighbors in need across the Brazos Valley.
Your donation fuels pantries and programs across the region.
There are now mobile pantries in six counties across the Brazos Valley, bringing food directly to communities that are in need.
In Brazos County, anyone can walk or drive up to the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Brazos Valley and receive a box filled with 40 pounds of food.
“Our first year of operation, they gave us $35,000 worth of food,” said Mary Johnson. “They knew that in our community there is an underserved population.”
Mary and her husband, Rob Johnson, helped start the mobile pantry in Brazos County.
The Brazos Mobile Pantry focuses on conveniently bringing food to the community, operating on the weekend to not interfere with work schedules.
“We have 400 families a month that come, and that’s about 1,800 people,” Rob said,
And they continue to see new faces each month.
“Every time, we have about 175 new intake forms filled out,” Rob said.
Rain or shine, volunteers are there to help in the fight against hunger.
“We have had from 34 degrees to over 100 degrees,” Mary said. “The last pantry, I think we had 102 volunteers and it takes that many volunteers because the food arrives and you have got to get it ready for distribution.”
It’s your donations and willingness to volunteer that ensures this program continues to deliver to Brazos County.
Mary says there is a greater need for volunteers when students are out of school. They are seeking volunteers for the winter.