North Texas food pantries seeing drop in donations during coronavirus outbreak

DALLAS - North Texas food pantries are feeling the pinch in every way due to the new coronavirus outbreak.

More people are in need of food, but volunteer numbers and donations are down.

Hardly anyone is coming to volunteer and donations from retailers are drying up.

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Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano is committed to a partnership with Plano ISD to supplement the district’s meals going home with students. That means 700 boxes of food staples by Friday.

Cheryl Jackson with Minnie’s Food Pantry says, for now, she needs more food to meet that goal.

“There are kids at home who need meals. There are mothers and fathers now at home that need a meal,” she said. “As this worsens, the need is going to get greater for Minnie’s Food Pantry and every food pantry in our community.”

Another prominent food pantry feeling the weight of the pandemic is Mission Arlington.

“Yesterday, we only had one truckload of bread to come in,” said Tillie Burgin with Mission Arlington.

Although not as many as normal, volunteers are still coming in. Burgin says she is concerned and determined in wake of some smaller pantries shutting down.

“Some folks are not keeping their pantries open, so they’re bringing it over here,” she said. “So we want to be open and be ready for the people. We’re not closing. They need the help.”

In the meantime, Jackson is praying for donations and better days.

“We’ve come too far to let it end like this when there’s really a need,” she said. “We’ve got to meet it.”