5 Hopeful Stories in 2020 from the East Texas Food Bank
As this year comes to a close, we took a look back at the stories of hope that inspired us during these tough months of 2020. While COVID-19 has had devastating impacts on our communities, we are grateful for the staff, volunteers, donors, partner agencies and supporters who have come together to feed hope for our neighbors in need. Here’s a look at 5 hopeful stories from 2020.
Longview ISD middle school students write original cookbook, proceeds benefit East Texas Food Bank
It’s the season of giving and a group of students at Longview ISD’s Judson Middle School are getting into the spirit. They wrote a cookbook and decided to sell them to the community and use the funds they raised to help feed local families in need.
Texas National Guard arrives at the East Texas Food Bank
In April, we were thankful to have the Texas Army National Guard arrive and were the official “boots on the ground” at the East Texas Food Bank. The guardsmen ensured that we continued to safely meet the need for food assistance in our 26-county coverage area. They supported our production of emergency food boxes and distribution and transportation tasks as long during our pandemic response.
Being a light in a time of need
Coby volunteered with us to help distribute food during several of our produce distributions in Tyler. The effects of the pandemic left him out of work for a period of time, so he felt the need to give back. “From talking to people in our community here, I have realized what dark times this is for so many. I hope people see there is a light and that you can help someone in need,” Coby told us. You can read more of Coby’s story here.
“We feel like someone cares here.”
We met Binu at the weekly distribution in Tyler this year. He, his wife and two children were new not only East Texas, but to the United States, arriving during an unprecedented pandemic affecting the country after a 14 year process. “Giving food to somebody is the biggest charity you can do a person,” Binu said. “We all need food and water to survive so those who are providing this kind of thing is big. Nothing is better in the world.”You can read more of Binu’s story here.
Providing #OneLessWorry in partnership with St. Paul Children’s Foundation
Due to pandemic, many of our partner agencies had to quickly switch how they were distributing food to families in need in order to prevent exposure to the virus. For St. Paul Children’s Foundation in Tyler, this meant moving from a “client choice” pantry to drive-thru service. Operations Supervisor Wyatt Bynum chatted with us about how the pantry is still helping in the community.