BRYAN, Texas — As the number of coronavirus cases continue to increase, so does the need for food in our community.
Food is the center of attention when it comes to holidays. This year will be no different.
“We typically get busier during the holiday season and we’re seeing that this week and next week and of course the coming weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year's, we always see a heavier load of clients and families," said Brazos Church Pantry President Tom McDougal.
With the ongoing pandemic showing no signs of stopping any time soon, food pantries in the Brazos County are seeing more people in need.
“We’re seeing a lot of clients. The increase for the year has been about 10%. It does seem like it’s going up a lot more recently, there are a lot of needy folks that are really hurting, and we’ve just seen more and more of that in the last two to three weeks, but we’ve got a lot of food and we’re very blessed," said McDougal.
From one food pantry to another, these non-profits across Bryan College Station are working hard to keep their community fed during these unprecedented and busy times.
“We were able to do some food drives to get some additional food items to help with those Thanksgiving meals including turkeys and hams and so we’re definitely seeing an increase because families are looking for those items in order to have those traditional holiday meals and still have that time with the family around the table and things. Of course this year they may not have the funds available to do those meals," said Salvation Army Bryan College Corps Officer Timothy Israel.
With Thanksgiving just a week away, if you have extra food items at home that can help out another family, you can drop it off at your local food pantry.
“Especially items that are those traditional Thanksgiving items, whether it’s a box of stuffing, green beans for green bean casseroles, or things like that that really help provide for a family in need,” said Lieutenant Israel.
All monetary and food donations to these pantries will really help out families in the area that are struggling during this time.
Despite the pandemic, these pantries have kept their doors open this entire time. Visit here to learn more about local resources available to you. The Salvation Army is also in need of more volunteers during this time.