Central Texas food pantry opens mobile distribution site in Bellmead
BELLMEAD, Texas (KWTX) - Shepherd’s Heart, a faith-based food pantry in Central Texas, is opening a mobile distribution site in Bellmead Wednesday.
The pantry has more than a dozen mobile distribution sites throughout Central Texas, but they saw a need to open one in the Bellmead area to serve those in the city, East Waco, Elm Mott and Lacey Lakeview.
“This is a high-needs area,” Shepherd’s Heart Executive Director, Robert Gager, said. “What we really want to be able to do is take care of the Bellmead area.”
Gager said, when they distribute food to people at La Vega schools, they distribute to around 200 cars in about an hour.
“What we’ve been seeing for the past several months is that middle-income people with four kids, three or four kids, all of a sudden, they can’t afford what they used to, so they come to our pantry, our mobile distributions, because it’s easier for them to come and get food.”
The U.S. Census Bureau shows that 20% of people in Bellmead are living in poverty, which is about double the national average.
“That’s very difficult for them to keep up the pace with the prices of things that are current, prices for housing and anything, so we’re trying to be there to help, not just be a handout, but a hand up,” Gager said.
He said they have been working on adding the site to the Bellmead area for the past few months and found a location that would be convenient for those that need groceries most.
He said the mobile distribution site is also convenient for people as they can just park in the parking lot and volunteers will take care of their grocery distributions.
Gager said Shepherd’s Heart gives out about $200 to $300 in groceries per car.
“It’s easier for them to come and get food...then just add a few things to it for their shop to complete their shopping, meal planning, whatever, and get assistance that way so they can pay all their bills,” he said.
The mobile distribution site will be open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday every week. It is located at St. Paul Lutheran Church in the right corner of the parking lot. Volunteers will instruct people where to park and how the distribution process will go.
They said they are prepared to distribute to hundreds of families but asks people to arrive as soon as they can.
He said they will continue to evaluate the need in the Bellmead area to solidify days and times they will be distributing weekly.
Distribution is open to anyone in the surrounding communities as well. People are also welcome to donate or volunteer.
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