LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – The South Plains Food Bank is expanding its food distribution options through a new partnership with a local organization to better serve the community.
Qualified individuals and families now have the option to pick up food on Wednesdays 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lubbock Dream Center instead of going directly to the food bank warehouse.
Travis Johnson, chief operations officer for the South Plains Food Bank, said the partnership aims to make food distribution more accessible.
“So, we don’t just focus on those we’re serving today, but we focus on those we should be serving and those that we need to be able to serve in the future,” Johnson said. “The only way to do that is really through partnerships.”
Multiple distribution centers planned
The food bank is working to establish multiple distribution centers across Lubbock. Leighann Ramirez with the Lubbock Dream Center said they’re the first of several organizations planning to help with food distribution.
“We were the first ones to do it, but we won’t be the only ones,” Ramirez said. “More churches and organizations are saying yes to provide a weekly food distribution in Lubbock.”
Families who choose to pick up food at the Lubbock Dream Center can make it their primary pickup site and will no longer need to visit the food bank warehouse for monthly voucher pickup. Johnson said the new distribution model will help the food bank’s operations.
“What it allows us to do is reallocate our resources to be able to do a lot more food rescue, because we’re really the only entity that can do that type of work,” Johnson said. “It allows us to purchase more food, it allows us to work through the food when we get it much faster, so that we can push it out to the community much faster.”
Ensuring every family in need receives help
Johnson asked families not to pick up from both locations to ensure all families in need have an equal opportunity to receive help. The food bank plans to expand the partnership model beyond Lubbock to other areas across the South Plains.
“South Plains Food Bank serves 19 counties and we want to build this type of network in all the towns and cities in our rural communities that we can do,” Johnson said. “In some of these rural communities, we’re the only ones and so we want to be able to get into that community more than just the one time we’re going a month. We want to be able to get there two, three, four times a month…”
To qualify for food pickup at the Lubbock Dream Center, families need to complete a one-page application for certification. Applications can be completed at the Dream Center or on the South Plains Food Bank website. An ID is preferred but not required.
If you have any questions, Johnson says to not hesitate to reach out to the food bank.
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