The rising cost of food has hit families all across Texas and food pantries are seeing more and more people come to them for help, including military service members and their families.
The Fort Hood Food Pantry located at The Spirit of Fort Hood Chapel on post, helps to feed Fort Hood soldiers and families when they fall on hard time. Their service relies on community donations.
”Individual people give small donations," said Teresa Parris, administrative support specialist with Garrison Religious Support Office. "We have units that are doing marches or food drives. The commissaries are selling bags that come to us totally. So, If you had the commissary and see the bag that says feed the families, that's us.”
With those donations, they were able to help dozens of soldiers and families in need every month.
”It's very important because they can come here and survive off eating here and help their wives and little ones,” said PFC Jada McCoy, religious support specialist. “If they do have a roommate that is afraid to go to a food pantry, I can come here and get it for them.”
Since the beginning of the year, the Fort Hood Food Pantry has seen a spike in the number of people needing to come to them for food and other items.
There is just one problem, their shelves are running bare.
”We don't have enough variety of foods,” said Parris. “We don't have enough pasta or pasta sauce. We have no rice.”
They are also severely low on protein products and protein isn't just meat, it's also things like peanut butter. Right now they only have one jar.
That's why they're reaching out to the community for help to restock the shelves and help feed families on post.
”Keeping up the dignity and confidentiality of our soldiers and soldiers' families," said CPT Eugene Savarimuthu, chaplin at Spirit of Fort Hood Chapel. "To provide for them so that they know that there is someone to love them in their dire need."
If you would like to help but you can't donate food or money, they also need volunteers
If you would like to help you just need to reach out to the Spirit of Fort Hood Chapel.
You can also donate financially atwww.armyctofdigitalgiving.com.
