Like many North Texas nonprofits, Farmers Branch-based Metrocrest Services’ Food Pantry has really had a tough year. The demands on their services were ramped up with neighbors, who had been able to pay the basics like rent and food, suddenly knocked to their knees with jobs being eliminated due to the pandemic.
According to Metrocrest Services CEO Tracy Eubanks, “Last year, we saw a 275% increase in neighbors visiting the food pantry, many for the first time. We’re now serving roughly 150 families a day and anticipate this trend will continue well into 2021.”
Due to the national demand by similar food pantries, food shortages grew.
Tracy explained, “We’re having to find new sources of food, and food inevitably costs us more. We have to pay to ship food from other states and compete with grocery stores.”
Luckily, community members stepped up by raising $100,000 in just over a month to match the Metrocrest Hospital Authority challenge of $100,000.
The $200,000 will “provide 1,200,000 meals” for Metrocrest Services’ Food Pantry clients.
As Metrocrest Hospital Authority CEO John Mahalik put it, “We are committed to improving the health of our community. One of the fundamental pillars of good health is proper nutrition. Metrocrest Services’ Food Pantry provides food to prepare balanced meals for residents who may not be able to afford these items on their own.”
* Graphic/photo courtesy of Metrocrest Services ** Graphic courtesy of Metrocrest Hospital Authority