WHITNEY, Texas (KWTX) – A Whitney church has suspended its monthly mobile food distribution after its partner pantry merged with the Central Texas Food Bank, which does not serve Hill County.
Home Church in Whitney had hosted the monthly distribution for about a year and a half, serving around 125 families per month, according to Pastor Joe Castillo.
Castillo said the Central Texas Food Bank told the church it could no longer assist with stocking their pantry because Hill County falls outside the food bank’s service area — something KWTX confirmed with the Central Texas Food Bank.
The Central Texas Food Bank shared the following statement:
“As part of the Feeding America network, we have an obligation to ensure that USDA, IRS, and Feeding America guidelines are followed, while also ensuring people have access to the food they need. The Central Texas Food Bank and its partner agencies can only distribute food within the 21-county service area.”
What comes next
This month’s distribution was the last for now, with the church handing a letter to those it serves notifying them of the pause. The church said the suspension could affect around 150 families.
“It’s frustrating. We take a lot of missions trips. And it’s hard to go to another country and help people out and realize you can’t help people in your own home. And we’re going to keep trying to help people as much as we can,” Castillo said.
Castillo said the church is working to partner with the Tarrant Area Food Bank, which does serve Hill County. However, the letter states that even if the Tarrant Area Food Bank approves the partnership, distributions likely will not resume until September or October.
The Tarrant Area Food Bank could not confirm whether it would be able to help or provide a timeline. The organization also said it has been more selective about partnering with mobile food distributions, adding that it prefers market-style food pantries.
Home Church has a blessing box at its front door, and Castillo said the church will keep it stocked for those in need in the interim.
“Just because we don’t live in a large town doesn’t mean there aren’t people that need help,” he said.
The church is asking the community for continued support as it searches for a partner agency to restart monthly distributions.
If you’re looking for help accessing food in your area, you can visit this link.
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