A significant portion of Lamar County experiences high food insecurity, meaning some people ration available groceries or skip meals altogether.
Downtown Food Pantry in Paris stands in the gap to help alleviate that worry and surveys recently completed reveal efforts are working.
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) asked pantry clients and learned 84% are regularly anxious about running out of food for their household.
Sixty-five percent said they sometimes skip meals due to food shortages in their home.
Troubling, too, is knowing 64% are regularly concerned about being able to feed dependent children.
Executive director Allan Hubbard said three staff, a board of 13 directors plus more than 200 active volunteers are constantly working to ease those concerns.
Many volunteers are RSVP members and the pantry has a great partnership with the organization.
“We’re seeing anywhere from 750-800 families every week,” Hubbard said. “They’re leaving with healthy, nutritious food from all the main food groups to supplement their other sources of groceries.”
An encouraging number – 81% – reported their food insecurity and anxiety was helped by visiting the pantry.
“We survive on one income with five children in the house and would not be able to make ends meet without the help provided by the pantry,” one surveyed client wrote.
Another wrote: “Super nice volunteers. They give us so much dignity which is greatly appreciated.”
“The pantry has changed my life. I no longer worry about food. God bless each of you,” wrote another local resident.
Lamar County residents are able to visit the pantry every other week and choose items their household will eat from a wide variety of canned staples, fresh produce, frozen meat, plus milk, bread and other items.
Downtown Food Pantry is a 501(c)3 non-profit and a proud partner agency of United Way of Lamar County plus more than 25 churches.
For more information, or to donate, visit downtownfoodpantry.org or call 903-737-8870. The pantry is located at 124 W. Cherry St. in Paris
