BRYAN, Texas — Every Wednesday starting at 9 a.m., the Salvation Army BCS distributes bags of foods to cars lined up outside their building.
Elmer Monroe is a Bryan resident of over 60 years.
“It helps me a lot,” Monroe said. “I’m on a fixed income, so whatever I can get really helps carry me over for the next month.”
He’s been coming to the food distribution days for the past five years and feels the impact of food inflation prices.
“Yeah, they run out,” Monroe said. “I try to get here as close enough I can. I’ve been here before and they’ve run out.”
Cars wrap around Cavitt Avenue on food distribution days hours before it starts.
Tanisha Pickney with the Salvation Army said they serve dozens of families within one hour.
“It definitely depends at the beginning and the end of the month of the need so it’s a lot more than that, but definitely between 60 to 70, sometimes 100,” Tanisha Pickney, the Director of Social Services at Salvation Army BCS, said.
Each family receives canned goods, drinks, snacks, desserts, and fresh food items for the month.
“We give meat which is donated from Walmart, and then lately here the [Brazos Valley] Food Bank has been providing fresh produce and so that definitely does help because we know the prices are very high and very unaffordable for families that need it,” Pickney said.
Ruby Mclean has been coming to food distribution days for the past year.
She encourages her fellow neighbors to join in line with her.
“I’m able to come and pick up food for the need I have,” Mclean said. “I would tell them this is where I get the food. It’s only on Wednesday. If they’re in lack and they need some food, this is the place to come.”
The Salvation Army’s goal is to expand.
“We are looking to increase our food pantry to three days a week instead of just one day a week due to the demand that’s needed in the community,” Pickney said.
To ultimately give the community more of a choice.
“We are really looking to move towards client-choice pantry where they are able to come in and shop for their own groceries, just to give them that experience of going to the grocery store and shopping for their food,” Pickney said.
You can apply to become a new client at the Salvation Army by filling out an application.