Titus County Cares Food Pantry Receives Food Donation

 

Thirty-four thousand pounds of mixed goods will be delivered to The Titus County Cares Food Pantry, located at 310 N. Edwards Ave. on Thursday, June 3, at 7:00 am. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is donating 34,000 pounds to help Texans transition into the summer months.

The pallets on this donation contain very shelf-stable food, including two complete pallets of peanut butter. This food is up to the highest standard and will be a great asset to Titus County.

“Our food pantry serves an average of 600-650 families per month,” says Kim Hedges, Executive Director at Titus County Cares Food Pantry. “A donation of this size will enable us to most likely make minimal food orders over the next three to four weeks, which will save us anywhere from $3,000 -$4,000. It is phenomenal for us.”The Titus County Cares Food Pantry serves all of Titus County. This donation will be a great asset to communities throughout East Texas trying to recoup from the pandemic and those families who need additional help when children are not in school for meals. Hedges continued, “We are so grateful to those that put this in motion and those that worked to make it come to fruition. It will be a true blessing to TCC and to those we serve in our community.”

This donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is part of its ongoing global effort to follow the Savior’s admonition to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked and visit the sick and those in prison (see Matthew 25:35–36). The Church is committed to serving smaller, rural communities that may have difficulty getting food. Millions of people have benefited from temporal and spiritual assistance through humanitarian and welfare donations.

This donation to Titus County Cares Food Pantry (TCC) will help aid those in need of the necessities. The gift of mixed canned and boxed goods will include vegetables, chili, fruit, beef, dried milk, and peanut butter.

To date, the Church has approved more than 100 relief projects in more than 50 countries. Most of these humanitarian projects happen with trusted partners, such as The TCC Food Pantry, which allows the Church to use its resources in places where it can do the most good.

They selected Titus County Cares Food Pantry based on its connection with the community, ongoing relief efforts, outstanding leadership, organized processes, and adequate unloading equipment. Because they scheduled 22 pallets of food for delivery on a 52-foot trailer, the selected site also needed space to store all the goods.

“Our pantry is funded through donations from local individuals, businesses, and churches. We try to be good stewards of their gifts, and this will enable us to stretch their donations out even more than usual,” says Hedges. It is the third donation in this area from The Church in just over a year, with another contribution coming to Longview next week.

Larry Cotton, who is on a Council in the Gilmer Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commented on the value of receiving such a large donation and what it means for the community.

“About 5-1/2 years ago, as my wife, Carolyn, and I were trying to find a way to have the true spirit of Christmas by serving others in our lives, we discovered Titus County Cares. Though we started working in the warehouse and distributing food orders to patrons, our efforts have evolved. Some of our duties include picking up food at Walmart, Aldi’s, and Pizza Hut on Mondays and Fridays and driving a 14-foot box truck to The East Texas Food Bank in Tyler on Wednesdays, where we pick up at least six pallets of various food items.

“This act of service has given us a sense of belonging in the community and the privilege to meet and work with many wonderful people. From January 2010 – June 2011, we served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Bishop’s Storehouse in Carrollton, where we were able to help those in need. We don’t want to see anyone go hungry if we can help. This opportunity has been a great blessing in our lives, and we do not consider it a sacrifice in any way. It has become a normal part of our life which we intend to do as long as we possibly can. We recently had to take a break due to some health issues but are eager to get back to it.”