West Texas Food Bank Rallies to Support Devastated North Carolina Counterpart

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's destruction, the West Texas Food Bank has stepped up to support its fellow food bank in Asheville, North Carolina. With a donation of $50,000 from ICA and a community-driven donation drive, the West Texas Food Bank is determined to provide much-needed aid and resources to help the MANNA Food Bank get back on its feet.

Mobilizing Support for a Food Bank in Crisis

Rebuilding from the Ground Up

The MANNA Food Bank in Asheville, North Carolina, has been left with little more than a slab and three walls after the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. Libby Stephens, the CEO of the West Texas Food Bank, describes the dire situation facing their counterpart. "She lost everything. They literally have a slab left and three walls. She's had to find a satellite location. They've had a hard time getting electricity hooked up. They've had to get Amazon to get refrigerated trailers so that she has refrigeration for her products."With the MANNA Food Bank's main facility destroyed, its director, Claire Neal, has had to get creative in finding ways to continue serving the rural communities that rely on their services. "She's had to find innovative and creative ways to reach those people including things like ATVs, mules and donkeys actually having to get supplies up to people because they are literally trapped because roads and bridges have been completely washed out," Stephens explains.

Organizing a Coordinated Relief Effort

Recognizing the immense challenge facing the MANNA Food Bank, the West Texas Food Bank has launched a targeted donation drive to provide much-needed support. Stephens emphasizes the importance of an organized approach, stating, "We wanted to do an organized drive to give Claire time to get her satellite facility up and running and make sure we have all the goodies that we are collecting is put together in a meaningful way because she really doesn't have a volunteer workforce right now because everyone's trying to just survive themselves."The donation drive, which will run for two to three weeks, is focused on collecting essential items such as bottled water, Gatorade, sports drinks, canned goods with pull-tabs, beef jerky, protein bars, crackers, peanut butter, and cleaning supplies like Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer. Stephens encourages the community to contribute, saying, "People can still donate. Stephens suggests bottled water, Gatorade, sports drinks, foods that have pop tops, beef jerky, protein bars, crackers, peanut butter and crackers, cheese and crackers, Clorox wipes, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, duct tape, tarps, mops, brooms, bleach and trash bags."

Delivering Aid and Restoring Hope

Once the donation drive is complete, the West Texas Food Bank plans to organize a volunteer day to sort, process, and pack the collected items into emergency relief boxes. Stephens emphasizes the importance of this coordinated effort, stating, "We want to make sure that things get there at the right time when people need them."The West Texas Food Bank is also accepting monetary donations through their website, with the option to designate the funds specifically for the MANNA Food Bank in North Carolina. Stephens assures that "once we put everything together, we will be driving in and delivering it to Asheville, N.C."The West Texas Food Bank's commitment to supporting its fellow food bank in North Carolina is a testament to the resilience and generosity of the community. Stephens expresses the food bank's excitement about this endeavor, saying, "We've always had huge success when we've done this before. I go back to Hurricane Harvey and some other emergency situations and we've always been able to provide assistance. We may be small, but we are mighty out here in West Texas."As the MANNA Food Bank works to rebuild and restore its operations, the support from the West Texas Food Bank and the local community will be crucial in helping them overcome the challenges posed by Hurricane Helene and continue serving the people of North Carolina.