CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There's a critical shortage at the Coastal Bend Food Bank, but not on food. At the moment, they do have adequate food donations and other supplies. However, there is a shortage of volunteers. Several of the agencies that handle the direct distribution of food to those who need it most don't have the staffing they need right now.
Bea Hanson with the CBFB said she's never seen anything like this, and it's all directly attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are limited now to the number of people that we can reach out to unless we get enough volunteers," Hanson said.
Take for example what's happening in Brooks County.
"They have cancelled our mobile distribution to the area so the difficulty that people are having now is that they can't travel of their county and we can not travel to their county to bring them the food and that is the problem that COVID has brought to our already difficult distributions," Hanson said.
167 partner agencies make up the bulk of the distribution resources for the CBFB, but right now 17 of those agencies are shut down due to the virus. Hanson said that three of the agencies have been exposed to the virus.
"We are trying to work around this difficulty and finding out better ways to reach the people to make sure that the food gets to them somehow," Hanson added.
One of the agency's mobile pantries and four non-agency drop sites have canceled distributions due to COVID-19. So what is the food bank to do?
"We're gonna have to look to the government, the counties, the different counties to see how we can meet somewhere and share the food so they can take it back to the people at home," Hanson said.
In the meantime, if you'd like to help out either with donations or volunteering call (361) 887-6291 or go visit here.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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