Since the COVID-19 pandemic moved into our community last week and restrictions began to take place, we have seen empty shelves in the toilet paper aisle, scarcity of staple food items like meat, beans, and rice, and people hoarding other types of grocery items. The people who often suffer the most during times of crisis like this are the economically disadvantaged families. With that in mind, the leadership of the CEC worked together with our partners, Tarrant Area Food Bank and Birdville ISD, to make sure that these families in our area will continue to have food on the table.
We started with a drive thru food pantry at the CEC to help families obtain groceries while maintaining social distance. We also started distributing food at different BISD campuses to help families in need within the district. Administrators, nurses, counselors, and teachers from the district came to volunteer at these distribution sites, waving at the students they recognized and lighting up with smiles as families drove by for their groceries. Expressions of gratitude such as “God bless you!” and “thank you for doing this” can be heard repeatedly as we load boxes of food into people’s car day after day. We were there when it was cloudy and rainy. We were there when the sun was shining and beautiful. Cars lined up out to the street and wrapped around the corner. Tiring as the work was, we knew at the end of the day that many families got food on their table and many teachers got to see their kiddos one more time during this period of crisis and isolation.
To find out more about how you can get involved or donate to our effort in helping families during this time, please visit our home page for more information.