Agape Connect hosts event outside Irving Mall to donate food to those in need during COVID-19 pandemic
IRVING, Texas - Malls in Dallas County are closed because of the stay-at-home order, but the Irving Mall parking lot was full for hours on Saturday.
Agape Connect, an Irving religious group, worked with the mall to donate thousands of pounds of food to people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event was only scheduled to last a few hours, but the turnout was so large, hundreds of cars were backed-up along 183 in Irving as people waited to get food.
Tens of thousands of pounds of donated food was given to people who needed it the most.
Cars were wrapped around streets leading to the mall.
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Organizers with Agape Connect said the Irving mall allowed them to use the space.
Food was donated from multiple organizations, including Toyota of Irving.
Volunteers all had on masks and gloves.
The group said they wanted to make the donation process contactless, and had people open their trunks and volunteers put the food inside.
Gerson Hernandez is the group’s executive director. He said those receiving the donations were very happy to get help.
“They were grateful, they were thankful, a lot of people were saying God bless you and thank you for what you are doing. The feeling, the spirit is gratefulness. I am grateful for the Irving mall for opening its doors and letting us do this,” he said.
The group said they are planning to do another event like this one soon, adding that as long as people are out of work, they will do their part to help.
With the North Texas Food Bank in a great need right now, the group said they wanted to help soften the blow from so many people needing food to get by.