ALTON — It’s about making sure that families worrying about putting food on the table is one less thing on their plates.
That’s what Stuart Haniff, the CEO of the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, said the organization’s mobile pop-up produce distribution on Thursday with Hidalgo County in Alton was all about.
“We are going to make sure these familes don’t have to worry about hunger with all the other things they have to worry about now with COVID and dealing with storms and hurricane season coming up,” he said.
Lined along the roundabout in front of the city’s recreation center were stacks of a variety of vegetables — lettuce heads, chayote, cabbages, tomatoes, mangos — along with spaghetti, rice and rolled oats. Frozen chicken legs were also being given.
A line of cars stretched nearly a mile long, wrapping around the city’s park. They poured onto Conway Avenue, waiting patiently to receive their share of the food as the National Guard managed traffic and guided families through the line.
Around 21,988 pounds of food was given that morning, serving 321 families.
Backpacks with hygiene kits, towels and socks donated by nonprofit Greater Good Charities were also being handed out, along with dog treats.
Haniff said it is important for the food bank to have drives specifically for distributing produce to encourage healthy diets in the community. “We continue to strive to be a healthy food bank,” he said. “Our focus is not just giving out food, but trying to move people from hunger to health through nutrition, and we are blessed to be where we are located since the RGV is in the cradle of produce from Mexico and South Texas.”
This is the first time the food bank has hosted a drive in Alton, and Haniff said it “definitely won’t be the last.”
As cars made it to the front of the line, city volunteers either handed families the food or placed bags directly into the trunks of cars.
“It’s exciting to have the food bank provide this service, we have so much need here in the RGV,” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez said.
In 2018, 27% of children in the county were considered food insecure, according to Cortez, and that number grew to 37% last year in the face of the pandemic. He added that about 15% of the county’s senior citizens were also food insecure.
“This really helps,” Cortez said, looking at the slow moving line of cars, then back to the volunteers handing out the food. “I was looking at the volume of food that they are getting and they are getting a great combination of meat, vegetables and canned goods, so this is something very special.”
The food bank hosted the pop-up distribution in addition to its usual schedule of drives. Every first Wednesday of the month, the organization hosts a food drive for residents older than 60, which is open from 7 to 10 a.m.
The next pop-up distribution the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley will be hosting is slated for 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Hidalgo’s Valle Alto Park, located at 301 S. McColl Road. The next one will be held at the same time on April 28 at the city of Harlingen’s soccer field, located at 4515 E. Harrison.
On the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the drive is open to the general public with the same hours. The third Wednesday is an evening distribution, slated for 5 to 8 p.m.
Haniff said about half of the food given out are produce products, but to maintain that standard and continue helping the community have a balanced diet, monetary donations are critical.
“It really takes a village, and sometimes it takes multiple villages,” he said.
Since the pandemic hit, the demand for food has multiplied by seven fold, according to Haniff. Those wishing to make donations can do so through the organization’s website, https://www.foodbankrgv.com.
“Today is really an example that we have seen all throughout this pandemic and the winter storm and the hurricane,” he said. “That we will have our share of disasters, we will have unexpected crises arise, but the heart, the collaboration, the partnership the generosity, the resilience of the Rio Grande Valley is always greater than any negative, any disaster.”
