FORT WORTH, Texas — We may be one week into 2021, but for so many of us, the realities of 2020 haven't gone away. Images of cars lined up Friday morning, one after another, are a stark reminder of that.
Inside the cars were hundreds of people waiting to receive food from the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
People like Freddie Spence.
"I've been laid off since March of last year," he explained.
Volunteers and members of the Army National Guard served 2,514 families Friday at Herman Clark Stadium in Fort Worth.
Let that number and that need sink in.
"This acts as a safety net so when they're making decisions about what bills they can and cannot pay, they know they don't have to worry about groceries for a few days," said Julie Butner, TAFB's President and CEO.
Butner said whatever's happening in society is reflected at these events.
"A lot more job loss," she said. "We're seeing the hospitality industry, the services industries, laying off after the holiday. The unemployment rate has gone up, and so as a result of that, we're seeing more people who are in our lines who need our help during this crisis."
They also still very much need our help, whether that means volunteering or monetary donations. A $25 donation means 125 meals for families in need.
The food bank will hold the mega mobile markets at the stadium every Friday for the foreseeable future.
The hope is to at least take one thing to worry about off people's plates.
To learn more about the food bank events or to donate, click here.
