How the South Plains Food Bank is helping rural communities

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – With the South Plains Food Bank located in Lubbock, the organization deeply cares about serving the hub city.

Travis Johnson, the food bank’s Chief Operations Officer, says it’s important that people that live in the next town or two over receive attention as well.

“Our mission is to get into these rural communities and provide that assistance that many times is not even there,” Johnson said. “We go to 35 different cities or towns and we are taking trucks full of food.”

These trucks, as part of the mobile panty, offers dry, frozen and refrigerated goods, bread, dairy, protein and more. Once a month, they’re taken to surrounding areas, including Hale Center, to provide these boxes of much-needed joy.

“These are all communities that we have relationships in where we deeply care about the people that are living there,” Johnson said. “These people are critical to the South Plains. Many of these communities are agriculture communities, and so we know how important it is.”

When the food bank travels outside of Lubbock, it gives volunteers a chance to see their hard work pay off in real time.

“I don’t just say it that we give hope, we truly give people hope.” Johnson said. “If you’ve ever been hopeless, to get that glimpse of hope like hey, somebody’s gonna take care of me, that there’s a better future for me out there, I think that’s a wonderful feeling that we’re able to provide.”

The food bank covers 33,000 square miles serving the 35 different towns and cities, which costs the non-profit around $60,000 in fuel a year. That, along with the money needed for this food, is why the food bank is grateful for your generosity, and hopes to expand its mobile services in the future.

“It’s the season of giving, and what better way than to support your community by helping put a meal on someone’s table?”