North Texas Food Bank volunteers putting together disaster relief kits
PLANO, Texas - An agency that is best known for helping families put food on the table is also assisting victims of natural disasters.
Thousands of residents living in East Texas are still without power nearly one week after severe weather tore through the area.
It's the latest reminder of just how quickly lives can be turned upside down due to a natural disaster.
That's why a group of volunteers in Plano from global healthcare company Abbott along with Feeding America spent Wednesday morning putting together 1,000 disaster relief packs at the North Texas Food Bank warehouse.
Cassie Collins with NTFB says it’s too late to get the kits to people in East Texas as more sustainable feeding trucks are already in place.
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Much of Gregg County is without electricity after the severe weather that moved through East Texas Thursday night left thousands of residents without power.
"We will be able to put these on our shelves. And as soon as a disaster strikes, we'll be able to mobilize those and get them out where they need to go immediately," she said.
The boxes contain non-perishable items like Ensure, Pedialyte and protein bars. They can feed a family of four in the days immediately following a natural disaster.
"It's an immediate necessity folks have in a disaster. They're self-stable," Collins said. "We can get them boxed to get them on the road quickly and be able to provide additional help later on."
This is the eleventh year the kits have been put together and stored.
The NTFB says the last time the boxes were shipped out was in August of last year when some 13 inches of rain fell on parts of North Texas, flooding many neighborhoods. The boxes were in the hands of residents in need within 24 hours.
"It's something that is easy just to hand out," Collins said.
Collins says these boxes will be ready in time for hurricane season. And with several disturbances already churning up in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, she says they're ready to help Texans who may find themselves in trouble.
"We've all learned in Texas weather is crazy, and for us to be prepared is of the utmost importance," she said.
The disaster relief kits have helped more than 35,000 people affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, storms and flooding across the region since the program started in 2011.