Quick take
- The Longview Resource Center, run by the Tyler based East Texas Food Bank, turned three in October.
- Meals served: about 1.1 million in year one, 1.2 million in year two and 1.9 million in year three, an increase of almost 73%, food bank officials told the Longview News-Journal.
- Where: 2900 Signal Hill Drive. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Staff and volunteers also help people sign up for programs such as SNAP.
The East Texas Food Bank’s Longview Resource Center is busier than ever. The pantry at 2900 Signal Hill Drive marked its third anniversary in October, and the number of meals it provides has grown by almost 73% since it opened, the Longview News-Journal reported.
Food bank officials said the center served about 1.1 million meals in its first year, 1.2 million in its second and 1.9 million in its third.
People who use a food bank site typically come five or six times a year, often after a setback such as a car repair or a medical bill, officials said. “Most people who are food insecure are not food insecure all the time,” said David Emerson, the food bank’s CEO. “They fall in and out of it.” He pointed to inflation and high prices as a big part of the rise.
Staff and volunteers also help people work through the paperwork to sign up for programs such as SNAP, the newspaper reported.
If you need help
- Where: 2900 Signal Hill Drive, Longview
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Friday: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More information is on the East Texas Food Bank website.