CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The holiday season is here and volunteers in rural communities are stepping up to feed those in need. One resale shop and food pantry is working hard to serve residents in Jim Wells County.
Alice Volunteer Services holds weekly food distributions that help put food on the table ahead of Christmas.
The food pantry has been around since 1983.
Its 25-year-long partnership with the Coastal Bend Food Bank is crucial to its food supply.
Bonnie Whitley, the president of Alice Volunteer Service said it is that partnership that can help combat the issue of food insecurity in their community.
"They're just so many people out there that are hungry, and this is no longer an emergency situation. It's a necessity for these people," she said.
Alice Food Pantry usually serves 100 people at their food distributions every Wednesday morning. Whitley's dad was a founder of Alice Volunteer Services, which runs the pantry. As president, Whitely is now in charge of about 20 volunteers helping weekly.
"It's quite a legacy for our family and it's just incredibly heartwarming every week to see the dedication of these, these folks," said Whitley.
Most of Alice Food Pantry's food supply is purchased from the Coastal Bend Food Bank. Sometimes they rely on a wholesaler if they need more than that. Whitley said their partnership with the food bank helps them buy products for less than a grocery store and have them delivered to Alice twice a month.
Volunteer Jonathan Morris said his favorite part of food distributions is being able to directly assist those in need.
"Handing out the food, you know, giving out the food to people who need it," he said.
The food is distributed via drive-thru, and it has been in that format since COVID-19. The food is pre-packaged and ready to be handed out for free when people drive up. People qualify according to income level.
Volunteer Christopher Anderson said the assistance comes just in time for people to get ready for the holidays.
"It's good that we can get the food out to everyone who needs it and just, so that they can have a nice Christmas."
Food products change based on availability, but Whitley said they can hand out meat, cheese and eggs to those who need it. Anderson said it was great that people were willing to help distribute food despite the rain and have fun working together.
"We get to laugh, and we get to have a good time. All the while, we can work and we can bring people food," said Anderson.
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