WACO, TX — Due to dangerous road conditions, local food pantries have been closed all week. But some individuals in Waco are refusing to let the ice stop them from making sure those in our community never have to go hungry.
Every Thursday, Shepherd’s Heart Food Pantry has a food distribution from noon to 6 p.m. Despite the dangerous road conditions, Shepherd’s Heart opened their doors early Thursday morning to make sure everyone could receive food.
“I didn’t know if anybody else in town would be open, but I knew that we needed to be here because their just isn't that much help right now,” said executive director Robert Gager.
The Salvation Army remained open, turning their downtown shelter and community kitchen into a warming center and providing three meals a day.
“We had somebody bring by a meal. We had other people bring by some meat and snacks and stuff like that," said Commanding Officer of the Salvation Army in Waco, Major Jim Taylor. "Even in the difficult road conditions, we’ve had some people brave it and come down and give us some help.”
Nieko Adkinson volunteers to deliver meals every Wednesday for Meals on Wheels. When she found out that she would not be able to deliver meals this week, she and her church friend woke up early to cook a hot meal and start deliveries.
“If I can slide to work and everywhere else, then I can slide for my clients," said Adkinson. "Because you never know. They were probably over there, one of them was, without food, lights, water. I don’t know. It was just in my heart. Like I have to get them something hot and make sure they’re okay.”
During a pandemic and an arctic blast, many individuals have had to face hardships like never before.
But hard times have been to known to either bring out the worst, or in this case, the very best in people.
“It made me sad, but it made me happy at the same time because they were happy to see a smiling face and see that we do care,” said Adkinson.
While Shepherd’s Heart is only doing food distributions Thursday, the Salvation Army is continuing to offer warm meals and shelter at 300 Webster Avenue in downtown Waco.
