CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Long lines of cars stretched around the axis road on SPID early Tuesday morning as the Coastal Bend Food Bank held one of its largest holiday food distributions at its new location on Bear Lane.
This event helped hundreds of families waiting for hours to receive food assistance.
“The need is immense,” Bea Hanson, the Coastal Bend Food Bank executive director, said.
She said many families were parking outside the location since Monday night.
“We are excited because this is our mission, and it’s also the spirit of the holidays,” she added.
Among those waiting in line was Herb Sharum, who said his family’s financial situation has been difficult since his wife could not work.
“It’s going to help with Thanksgiving,” Sharum said. “We’ve had some financial problems this year, and we’ve been living off my Social Security check.”
For others, the distribution was a much-needed relief during the holiday season. Manuel Cardenas, another recipient of the holiday boxes, said it would help his family keep their budget intact.
“Well, we would probably be cutting back on a lot of the things, the basic items, you know, that we enjoy at this time of year,” Cardenas said.
Since November 1, the Coastal Bend Food Bank has distributed over 8,000 turkeys to families across the 11 counties it serves. The organization has seen a significant increase in demand as rising food costs, and inflation have placed additional strain on local households.
Volunteers, local businesses, and community donations support the food bank's efforts, which allows the organization to continue providing essential food assistance during the holiday season.
“ It was the generosity of Thomas J. Henry who made this distribution possible today, and we are very excited to provide holiday meals for our neighbors," She added.
The Coastal Bend Food Bank is expected to hold more distributions to ensure families across the Coastal Bend can enjoy a warm meal during the upcoming holidays.
