BOERNE – More than 50 volunteers were fired up Saturday as they helped feed 500 Kendall County neighbors most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the area at Boerne-Champion High School that earlier this year was used for student parking, the volunteers hustled to get ready as a steady stream of people in need lined up.
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“The San Antonio Food Bank and Hill Country Family Services got out here at 7 a.m.,” said Staci Almager, the executive director of HCFS. “Then the rest of the volunteers got here at 7:45 a.m. and the cheer heard round the world when the San Antonio Food Bank truck got here at 8 a.m.”
However, in order for the mega food distribution to take place, organizers had to spend days planning.
“We were really worried because in San Antonio they have been seeing 10,000 people show up for mobile mega food distribution and, to be quite honest, the needs in Bexar County just based on population numbers superseded our needs here in Kendall County, "Almager said. “But we able to work together and we made it happen and we are thrilled.”
Partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank and the Comfort Table, Almager said HCFS was able to make the event a reality. Following the directives of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, volunteers followed the proper social distancing guidelines and were asked to wear facial coverings.
“All 50 volunteers have been split up in groups of four (with) no more than four people together,” Almager said. “They are wearing their masks and really while they are together, they are using the proper apparel and they are social distancing but what you will notice is that they are not congregating together.”
At 10 a.m., the food drive kicked off with a steady stream of cars meandering along the route as volunteers waited along the sides and put the food into the back of the vehicles or trunks. Each family will receive enough food to feed their household for a week.
“The one thing that we want people to know is that we are serving the most critical families, those that are in extreme need,” Almager said. “We know that we have captured those individuals. They have registered for this and they knew to be here and so we are really proud and honored to be part of something really remarkable here in Kendall County this morning.”
Almager said by 1:30 p.m., all the food had been distributed. If you live in Kendall County and need assistance, you can contact Hill Country Family Services at 830-249-8643.