CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo assembled the Food Bank Task Force to assist the Coastal Bend Food Bank with food drives.
Guajardo said the task force aims to end food insecurity in the Coastal Bend. She said it was her mom who taught her to give back to those in need at a young age.
“Not everyone is as fortunate as you are regardless of where you sit in that spectrum and so it is always your responsibility to care, to help, and to do all you can on whatever platform you have,” Guajardo said.
She said the task force will be focusing on three things: food drives and logistics, capitol campaign, and advocacy. She said since her mom taught her to give back, she is also trying to teach her son to do the same thing.
“We mold our children…we mold them…literally….and so we are our kids best example,” Guajardo said.
On Saturday, volunteers put together boxes with food like spaghetti, canned fruit, and rice. One of the parents volunteering with her daughter is the task force’s vice chair, Marie Dickson. She said she wants to make the community a better place for everyone.
“I always want to instill a heart of service and a charitable mentality in our family and in our community,” Dickson said.
Her 16-year-old daughter Michaela said it’s her first time volunteering at the food bank ,and her thoughts on helping pack food in boxes reflect her mom’s thoughts, saying volunteering helps the community.
“No one wants to be hungry so if we can give back and help others then we definitely should,” Michaela Dickson said.
Guajardo said the Coastal Bend Food Bank has less volunteers than before the pandemic and is encouraging people to join the task force, which currently has 15 members. She said she’s hoping to have members of the task force help with every food drive.
Mayor Guajardo said the Food Bank task Force is just one of her three task forces she has created, including an environmental task force and an animal care task force.
