Central Texas food pantries see increased demand this year
Food pantries across Central Texas are reporting a spike in demand for food this year
Central Texas (KWTX) - Central Texas food pantries see an uptick in demand as the Food for Families food drive nears.
“Usually this time of year, we see an increase, but these past couple of weeks, we’ve seen even more of an increase,” Sheppards Heart CEO Robert Gager said.
Shepherds Heart, Temple Christian Outreach and the Gatesville Care Center all report above-average demand for food this year.
“Every single Thursday we have more and more clients lining up and more and more new faces that we’ve never seen before,” Temple Christian Outreach Executive Director Caitlyn West said.
Gager said Shepherds Heart will need the donations collected from Food for Families more this year.
“It’s always a ‘Just in time’ kinda thing because we needed that,” Gager said. “We needed that. And I’m saying ‘we’ because all of the pantries needed that. So it makes a difference to everybody.”
Gatesville Care Center Executive Director Deral McWhorter said only time will tell how high demand gets this year.
“We may see this year what we’ve never seen before,” McWhorter said. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Food for Families is on Nov. 22, 2024.
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