Volunteers covering the ‘weekend meal gap’ for Big Country students

ABILENE, Texas ( KTAB/KRBC ) – On the second Tuesday of every month, you’ll find many hands making light work at the Love and Care Ministries Packing Wearhouse on North 1st Street. For six years and counting, they have welcomed volunteers to assemble care packs of food and snacks distributed to nearly 40 school campuses in the area. The program ensures that students who rely on school breakfast and lunches also have something on their plates over the weekend. Director of Ministries Terry Davis said the involvement he sees from volunteers each time is overwhelming, to say the least.

“We get to be here and see what they do, and it charges us up. This is our sixth year now, and we’ve never had enough to get the job done. There was a whole other crew here last night that unboxed everything so we could get our assembly lines running tonight,” Davis said.

In just under an hour, more than 100 volunteers packed approximately 3,070 packs. Tuesday night’s crowd consisted of volunteers from the Junior League of Abilene, the Abilene Southwest Rotary Club, Junior ROTC members, a number of local churches, and solo volunteers working together. Junior League Community Director Misti Hauger said her group comes every other week to lend a hand.

“It touches my heart because I can’t stand to see anyone hungry, let alone a child. This is a way I can spend an hour of my day, about 4 hours a week… Many of the Junior League women feel the same way. We just want to help,” said Hauger.

Abilene Southwest Rotary Club President Aida Pentoja feels much the same. Members of the club come to help every month, and on Thursday, they presented a $1,800 check to the program to purchase more food for the children. Pentoja says a full belly means a mind that is ready to learn.

“One of our main focuses is education. We want these kids to be filled so they can learn better at school and during the weekends to have something to be prepared for Monday,” Pentoja said.

Davis shared those funds will go a long way. Each bag they prepare contains items such as cereal, beef jerky, fruit punch, and peanuts, all snacks chosen and approved by the kids themselves. From the grocery store, they would cost about $11 a bag, but through wholesale transactions and give-back programs from the companies themselves, Davis said they can fill each bag for no more than $4 apiece.

“We sent out around 71 thousand of these packs last year. We’ll probably eclipse that number somewhat this year,” Davis shared.

At times, the generosity on display is a direct reflection of the good the program does for the community. Davis recalled an interaction one night that’s stayed with him since.

“A couple of weeks ago, a young lady from one of our universities came up afterward and said, ‘Hey, thank you for doing this.’ We said, ‘Well, thank you for thanking us.’ She said, ‘No, I was a kid who got help with these packs. Now I’m in college, but I had to take these packs home, and it meant a lot to us to get those.’ And I was like, “Wow, that’s just so cool,” Davis shared.

If you would like to join in on the help , you can learn more through Love & Care Ministries . The Care Pack Program they participate in is a nationwide movement that began in Amarillo. Packing opportunities are available each week. Parents wishing to learn more about how to receive these packs can inquire through their child’s school.

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