Food Pantry

I was curious about a building I'd seen and had been driving past since we moved here with a sign "Food Pantry". So I stopped in a few weeks ago to see what it was. I chatted awhile with a lady in the office about their needs and opportunities to volunteer. I decided to start out slowly by volunteering once a month. I hope to eventually volunteer once a week.

The mission of Faith in Action Outreach is to serve Jesus by serving people. They offer a food box once a month to those in the community in need. They also offer other services like a clothes closet, food for the weekend for school children, and counseling. They are sponsored by several local businesses and churches as well as the East Texas Food Bank.

The first time I volunteered, I was asked to help with the boxing up process. Most of the food comes from the East Texas Food Bank, purchased in bulk cases or mixed boxes. After the food is unloaded from boxes and organized on the shelves, client boxes are packed with certain foods in each box. Fresh items of bread and produce, mostly donated from local supermarkets, are added at the end. Since then, I have been asked to help at the checking in desk where I have more interaction with the clients.

One of the things I've learned so far is that there are a lot of families in need in our area. You might not notice just driving through town. Another thing I've found is just how friendly and kind the people are - on both sides of the counter.