Forney, Texas – Food pantries across the North Texas area are issuing pleas for donations and volunteers and now the Forney Food Pantry is doing the same.
Forney, Texas – Food pantries across the North Texas area are issuing pleas for donations and volunteers and now the Forney Food Pantry is doing the same.
Freezers are sitting empty and shelves are bare but people kept coming into the pantry on Wednesday morning to gather food and other necessities. “I'm getting very little out because I just don't have it,” said Forney Food Pantry Director Taressa Adams.
Adams has worked at the Forney Food Pantry for nine years and even back when it began as the New Life Food Pantry. As Forney grows, “the need is only going to get bigger and bigger,” she said.
With food levels low at the North Texas Food Bank(NTFB), the Forney Food Pantry has been unable to purchase the food they need to keep their shelves full. The pantry usually buys food by the pallet at the NTFB for a fraction of the cost of purchasing food at grocery stores.
The Forney Food Pantry is asking for non-perishable foods including oatmeal, mac n' cheese, canned vegetables, canned meats, boxed potatoes, rice, canned fruit, and canned soup. There is a drop off location in front of the Forney Food Pantry located at 222 Industrial Park, Forney, Texas 75126. For larger donations, Director Adams is available by phone at (214) 755-0125. The pantry also accepts monetary donations by mail at P.O. Box 2343, Forney, Texas 75126. The pantry is only open on Wednesdays from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.
This year alone, the Forney Food Pantry has assisted a minimum of 140 people a week with that number reaching as high as 225. “It's only going to get busier as it gets closer to the holiday season,” said Adams. In years past, the Forney Food Pantry has also tried to assist families with holiday meals and even purchases turkeys during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The Hole Thing donuts stepped up to assist the pantry last night and this morning with posts on Facebook encouraging donations and also offering their donut shop as a permanent drop-off location for the Forney Food Pantry.
Owner of The Hole Thing Katie Vrana told inForney.com, “I was shocked to find out the shelves were empty. I know the good people of Forney would find that unacceptable if they just KNEW about it. [emphasis in original] That's the key here, utilizing people, media, and other businesses to get the word out throughout the year so it doesn't happen again.”
Adams also gave special thanks to the United Way as their biggest supporter and donor. “Without their support there wouldn't be a food pantry,” she said.
