Efforts to feed the hungry spread wide across metro amid pandemic

From community gardens to drive-through food pantries; there’s a whole lot of work going every day to feed the Metro’s hungry, especially as need skyrockets amid the pandemic.

At the Together Food Pantry, they’re serving nearly a thousand people a day; people Tomas Romera, who’s hours were cut amid the coronavirus crisis.

“Slow hours, for me,” said Romera. “I’m working in the night . . . slow hours.”

Helping to get fresh produce to the pantries is The Big Garden, this season their goal is to harvest 50,000 pounds of produce.

Cami Cavanaugh Rawlings is the development director and has always enjoyed gardening.

“But working here on campus it’s even more of comfort knowing that we’re helping our community and others and I just hope that others can join in.”

Joining in is exactly what they’re doing over at the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, where volunteers were busy making 200 sandwiches Thursday to help feed the homeless.

“With this pandemic, people are still homeless and still hungry, so someone’s got to do it, so why not me?,” said Joyce Geary, There are lots of good people here I’m working with so it’s fun too.”

And that desire to help out is something 6 News saw Thursday during our “Stuff the Bus” food drive.

“There’s just so much need all over,” said Carol Smith, while dropping off a donation. “It really, really, just helps you feel good to be able to help people.”

All the donations will go to St. Vincent de Paul’s Food Pantry; like pantries across the Metro, they’re relying on donations more than ever.

“We’re looking to your drive to get us at least a couple of more months of breathing room,” said Terry Langan, who volunteers at the pantry. “And then hopefully, maybe the food supply will be caught up and we’ll be able to find the food that we need.

In the meantime, food pantries will use all the help they can get; welcoming food and monetary donations.