4-H food drive to help hard-hit food pantries in Presidio County

PRESIDIO COUNTY — The COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic hardships have more area residents relying on food pantries. To help meet the community needs, Presidio County 4-H and the AgriLife Extension are working to collect donations and get more food to families who need it.

In Marfa, residents can get food at the Marfa Food Pantry, while in Presidio, residents rely on mobile distributions from the West Texas Food Bank. Donations requested are canned goods, dry goods, non-perishables and toiletries.

To join the 4-H Food drive, first, take a picture with you or your family with the donations and email it, along with the number of donations to matlin.sain@ag.tamu.edu. Your picture will be featured on the Presidio County 4-H Facebook Page and Marfa Group with your permission. If you do not want your picture posted, you still need to email the number of items donated, so County Extension Agent Matlin Sain can report that number to Texas A&M.

Then, have only one person, wearing a mask, drop off canned goods in the gray bin labeled Presidio County 4-H at the Marfa Food Pantry.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas food banks are serving 88% more clients than this time last year. Feeding Texas reports that food donations are down at a time when demand at food pantries and food banks has exploded as people have lost jobs and income.

The number of volunteers at food banks and pantries has also declined by more than 70% causing some food pantries to close due to inability to serve clients. Others are closing due to lack of food available to distribute. Food banks have increased the number of mobile distributions due to the closure of some food pantries.

Unfortunately, they have had to turn people away from these mobile distribution sites, because they handed out all the food they brought before they ran out of people to serve. Food shortages at food pantries and food banks have been reported at the State Operations Center.

As a result, AgriLife Extension has been asked to sponsor and organize food drives at the county level to benefit local food pantries or the food bank serving that county when no local food pantry is available or currently open.

If you have questions about Marfa Food Pantry or need assistance with your donation please contact Genevieve Bassham at (432) 295-1447 or Sain at matlin.sain@ag.tamu.edu.