Food Bank easing struggle for many this Thanksgiving
Lines are more manageable, but the need hasn’t gone away
When the demand for food in San Antonio doubled after the coronavirus hit, Albert Garcia found himself among those needing help to get his family through another day.
Tuesday, the mustachioed man sat in a long line of vehicles stretched from the parking lot of the San Antonio Food Bank down Old Highway 90. Garcia, 66, pulled on his mask as he slowly, finally, manuevered his truck into the food distribution line.
It wasn’t his first line of the day. Earlier that morning, Garcia had lined up in his truck on the U. S. 90 access road to Carmargo Park, site of the distribution staging area, to register. Once that was done, he waited for the signal to start his engine and made the five-minute trek to where the food was to be distributed.
“I really need the help,” Garcia said, as he inched his truck toward volunteers waiting with boxes of produce. “And this will help. We are going to have a good Thanksgiving Day.”
The line wasn’t close to the 10,000 vehicles that stretched for miles at the Traders Village food distribution event in April,
creating an iconic image of economic devastation that became seared in the national consciousness.
But the same need is still there, officials say. It’s just been divided into more manageable events so that people don’t have to wait so long in line.
The Food Bank sponsors daily events Tuesday through Saturday at its headquarters and mega events on Tuesday and Thursday at different locations in and around the city, that include the Alamodome, Wells Fargo headquarters, and Morgan’s Wonderland. Officials said there are also large events in and around the 16 counties the agency serves.
In March, before the city’s stay-home order took effect, the San Antonio Food Bank was feeding about 60,000 people a week. As a result of the pandemic and loss of jobs, that number doubled to 120,000 and has stayed there consistently throughout the crisis.
Eric Cooper, Food Bank president and CEO, said the bad news is that there’s so many people in need of food assistance.
He said 2020 has been a difficult year and the holidays will be tough for many. Households will have family members missing from their tables; some lost permanently to the virus, others at least for this year because they’re isolating for safety.
Still, there are blessings to count.
“In the midst of all of that, there is an opportunity to be grateful for the blessings that we have,” Cooper said. “I’m grateful to our city for hearing the call and responding with donations and coming to volunteer. I’m grateful for the leadership of the city and some of the simple things.”
He said donors and volunteers walk away with a bigger benefit than the one recipients receive when their trunks are loaded with fresh produce, dairy or other items.
“The quickest way to take off the weight is put the weight of someone else on your shoulders.” Cooper said. “It doesn’t crush you, it recalibrates you and gives you a fresh perspective.”
Michael Guerra, Food Bank chief resource officer, said the city’s need was exposed in a recent “CBS Sunday Morning” piece that featured revealing photographs by San Antonio Express-News staff photographer William Luther. He said the episode was also a reminder of the 1968 documentary titled, “Hunger in America,” that highlighted the poverty in San Antonio.
“Sometimes you think we haven’t come very far,” he said. “If there’s any challenge like a pandemic, there are people who are on the economic cliff all the time and then the pandemic hits.”
Andrew Martinez, 27, works in the nutrition section at the Food Bank. His path to the nonprofit came by way of AmeriCorps and as a volunteer. His first event was volunteering with his friend Sara Reyes at the mammoth event that took place at Traders Village. Martinez said the experience jolted him so much that he left his job at a banking institution to join the goodwill effort.
“It was unbelievable to see that many people that needed help,” he said. “I believe in our mission, and that’s why I’m here.”
Volunteer Selma Morales, 58, worked at the bread station with Clarissa Gorena, 45, and her daughter Isabella, 17. An Apple Corps member, Morales teaches new volunteers the ropes.
“So many families need help,” Isabella said. “And it makes my heart jump to help them.”