VA clinic and food bank partner to combat veteran food insecurity

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – One in nine working-age veterans faces food insecurity, but a collaboration between the Laredo VA Clinic and the South Texas Food Bank is tackling that statistic by bringing food directly to veterans’ cars.

The partnership delivered its first veterans food drive of the year Feb. 11, continuing a three-year tradition of serving local veterans.

“We do it for our veterans. They serve our country and we like to provide the service to them,” said Crystal Cabido, administrative officer at the Laredo Outpatient Clinic.

Last year, the partnership shifted to a quarterly system, hosting a food drive every three months.

Veteran Armando Flores, who served nine years, said the food drives provide significant help with rising grocery prices.

“It helps us a lot, our veterans. And the price of food is kind of high at this time. Which turns out to be good,” Flores said.

The event’s two-hour window moves quickly, but the work doesn’t end when the gates close. The VA clinic ensures that veterans who couldn’t make it are taken care of by distributing leftover food throughout the following days.

Juan Patino, a veteran, said events like this bring more than food.

“I feel very American. That’s America for us. I helped them. I served my country. Now they’re giving me my pay back. I’m getting my pay back every time I come get my food,” Patino said.

The food drive served more than 220 veterans. Most of these events serve more than 300.

To continue supporting the community, the clinic actively invites volunteers to join the cause.

“Anybody that would like to come and help out and donate. We didn’t have a lot of volunteers. We usually do have volunteers from the JROTCs but we appreciate any help that we get,” Cabido said.

The next veterans food distribution in Laredo will be on May 6.

For more headlines, click here.