OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The day before Christmas Eve, we all expect long lines at every store in the Omaha metro as people get their last-minute holiday shopping done.
But the line for the Black Men United Food Pantry starts to form while most of us are still asleep. It runs from 30th and Sahler and wraps around Ames Avenue to 33rd Street, covering about four city blocks.
Pam Gonzalez is in car number two — she arrived around 2 a.m. Monday.
“I am usually clear around the block and I wanted to get here early so I could get home,” Pam said.
The Black Men United Food Pantry is drive-thru, but they do help out homeless people who walk up without vehicles.
Volunteers at the pantry are busy getting things ready. The Black Men United Food Pantry usually runs on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. Monday’s opening was extra.
“We’re giving before Christmas to make sure everybody has a pleasant and thankful holiday,” said volunteer Jaryl Carey.
Pam is happy for this extra day of giving for the holidays, but she’s not concerned about what’s under the Christmas tree. She’s more concerned about what’s in her refrigerator.
“It’s just something about going out to the fridge and saying, ‘I have something to eat, I’ve got something to eat,‘” Pam said. “Even if it’s a piece of ham, I get at least two meals a day.”
The Black Men United Food Pantry loads up food for about 1,500 families every month. Pam says she has to be here.
“I only get a little bit of money and I’ve been on disability for many years, I have struggled and struggled and my social security doesn’t cover me,” Pam said.
This pantry covers her, though, and hundreds of others this Christmas season.
“To have food on the table means more to me than any present,” Pam said. “This helps me. This is what God has provided for me.”
The Black Men United Food Pantry is drive-thru, but they do help out homeless people who walk up without vehicles.
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