An East Waco food pantry is preparing to reopen its doors this week after a lack of volunteer workers forced it to shut down in late September.

Just as I Am Ministries opened a food pantry on Deshong Smith Street in March to provide nutritious food to impoverished residents throughout the city.

The pantry has given out more than 67,000 pounds of food to more than 1,700 individuals in 570 households. The pantry purchases meat, fresh produce and pantry staples from the Capital Area Food Bank in Austin and aims to give its clients a balanced diet.

Naomi Jones, 33, pictured here with two of her children, Rodney, 11 months, and Rodrick, 4, were among the residents affected when Just As I Am Ministries temporarily closed its food pantry last month.
Rod Aydelotte/Tribune-Herald

“What we’ve found is that there is a greater need than we originally realized,” Director Patricia Iglehart said, adding they have been contacted by residents as far away as Marlin and Riesel.

But as more people came to the pantry for assistance, Iglehart said it created more paperwork to document how the pantry was distributing food.

The pantry also participated in the food bank’s summer nutrition program, which gave low-income clients an additional 50 pounds of food each month. The pantry was able to serve 334 additional households through the program, but it also gained more administrative duties.

Soon, the influx of clients seeking food assistance became too much for the small, five-person volunteer staff to handle.

“People have been coming for the food, but we can’t find any volunteers,” said Cassandra Alexander, volunteer office administrator for the pantry. “The five of us are trying our best to make it work.”

With no new volunteers to help with the increased workload, Iglehart made the decision to temporarily close the pantry at the end of September.

The move made it harder for some residents in the area to get supplemental food to help feed their families.

Naomi Jones, 33, has a family of 10 that includes her husband and eight children ages 11 months to 16 years old.

Jones previously worked at a day care center but lost her job two years ago when the business closed down.

Her husband works full time as a wood chopper, and the family receives food stamps each month to help buy groceries.

“The government assistance helps cover the first part of the month, but I usually run out towards the middle and end of the month,” Jones said of the struggle to provide food to her family.

The food pantry will reopen this week.
Rod Aydelotte / Tribune-Herald

Jones said the family doesn’t have a car. When the pantry was open, a volunteer would deliver her family’s food allotment to their home on Turner Street. Now, Jones has had to turn to Caritas, located on South 15th Street. She has walked to Caritas or paid gas money to relatives or friends in exchange for a ride.

“Usually, when I find someone who will give me a ride, I will walk to Caritas and then call the person once I’m done (picking up food) so they don’t have to wait around on me,” Jones said.

Though Iglehart said no new volunteers have come on board, she plans to begin giving out food boxes again Thursday.

rdennis@wacotrib.com

757-5755

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