Mexia food pantry out of staple food items, hopes Food for Families will restock shelves
MEXIA, Texas (KWTX) - Caritas in Mexia is running low on several key food staples, and, with Food for Families just a few days away, the pantry is hoping the food drive will restock its shelves for the holidays.
“We really have to put our best foot forward and to be able to support these people,” Andrew Taulton, President of the Board at Caritas of Mexia, said. “We need to be able to supplement as much as we can.”
Dried pastas, beans and other canned goods used to fill the shelves at Caritas of Mexia, but, recently, the pantry has been struggling to supply these items to those in need who visit the pantry.
Taulton said the pantry has seen the demand for food continue to increase in the area since the pandemic.
“We’ve had supply chain issues,” he said. “The thing that’s driving it the most is this area is somewhat economically depressed. We don’t have any big employers in the area and everything, and, with inflation raising the price of food, we have a lot of families that are being impacted.”
A lot of shelves where the pantry stores its nonperishable food items in the back are bare. Taulton said Caritas of Mexia is hoping a big turnout from Food for Families will help replenish its shelves for the pantry to be able to support families in need through the holidays.
“What we need is excellent participation from our community, but we always have that,” Taulton said. “We’ve been blessed here. We have very compassionate and benevolent people in this area. So, whenever the need arise, they always rise to meet the need.”
This year, the pantry is starting a friendly competition with organizations and businesses in the community--the ‘Golden Can Challenge.’
“We are trying to encourage our businesses and our churches and all of our organizations in the area to give as much as you can because the need is greater,” he said. “Even though we’re out of the pandemic era...it’s slow recovery in an area like this, so we really need to help. Like I say, the Lord has blessed us to be able to be here, and we’re going to support it.”
The ‘Golden Can’ will be awarded to the organization that donates the most poundage of food on Friday. Monetary donations will also contribute to the poundage totals.
The collection site for Food for Families in Mexia is 214 N. Sherman in downtown Mexia.
Food for Families is Friday, Nov. 17. It is the largest one-day food drive in the state of Texas.
Our KWTX team will be live at 18 different food pantries throughout Central Texas, helping collect nonperishable food items and monetary donations that will help fill pantries’ shelves for the holiday season and beyond.
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