MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — For 18 years, Shepherd's Heart has been feeding the hungry in our community, operating like a food bank with mobile distribution trucks and specialized services for homeless populations
- The pantry offers kids' food, canned goods, and fresh fruits and vegetables, and they have helped feed more than 100,000 families.
- They provide special walk-up service for homeless individuals from nearby encampments. The facility includes freezers for meat and perishable items, and they maintain three mobile distribution trucks to reach those in need
- A $50 donation can feed an entire family.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Our city's poverty rate is twice the national average, but one local organization has been working for nearly two decades to address food insecurity in the community.
Shepherd's Heart food pantry has been serving the community for 18 years, and their current facility has been the hub of their mission for 5 years, helping them feed more than 100,000 families.
"Welcome to the Shepherd's Heart food pantry," said Diane Graham, volunteer coordinator at Shepherd's Heart. "We've got kids' food, canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables."
The organization functions more like a food bank than a typical food pantry, with a warehouse-style operation that allows it to serve a large population.
"We need space, but we don't need anything fancy, as you can tell, we have a warehouse," said Graham.
During my visit to the facility, volunteers were busy preparing food packages for distribution.
"As you can see right now we've got volunteers stacking food for mobile distribution," said Graham.
The facility includes freezers for storing meat and perishable items, plus three mobile distribution trucks that help them reach people throughout the community.
Shepherd's Heart also has dedicated services for vulnerable populations.
"Coming through here, this is our walk up pantry for our homeless, We have large homeless encampments," Graham said.
The organization stretches every dollar to maximize its impact on hunger in the community.
"We can feed a family for $50 so imagine how much you're impacting a $50 donation would be for a family," Graham said.
For those unable to contribute financially, Shepherd's Heart welcomes volunteers Monday through Friday to help with bagging food or handling paperwork.
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