DALLAS — In the midst of a tough week for many people across North Texas, there are a lot of neighbors working behind the scenes to help ease the stress.
They say right now, it’s about community.
It was another cold day on Wednesday.
“It’s actually been really hard,” Demetrice Sanders said as she waited in line outside the food bank at Inspired Vision Compassion Center in Pleasant Grove.
More North Texans are venturing out to find relief.
“You’re trying to make sure your kids are OK. It’s been kind of hard,” Sanders explained.
At Inspired Vision Compassion Center, located at 2019 N. Masters Drive, a steady stream of people showed up for free groceries and essentials.
”If I can get here, we’re going to be open,” said Dr. Teadran White, the center’s CEO.
White says she knows many families coming through the center didn’t expect to be dealing with the impact of inconvenient weather well into this week.
”People without power for days. People without water. They don’t have power,” White explained.
The place is short on volunteers right now, but the team is making it happen for neighbors like Monday Clemmins and Demitrice Sanders. The women say local grocery stores are closed or running out of items.
“They’re absolutely wiped out. The stores are absolutely wiped out. There’s no meat on the shelves,” Sanders explained.
And that’s not it. Right now, warming centers are opening across North Texas. South Oak Cliff High School is among them. Dallas ISD Trustee Maxie Johnson said it’s a place where families can stop in, warm up, and charge devices.
”It’s very important. We’ve had a pandemic. Now we have a blizzard. And lights are off. So, we’re trying to serve our community as best we can,” Johnson explained.
For now, it’s all about community as families try finding ways to push through the inconvenience. Neighbors know empathy goes a long way.
”I know of many other food banks that are closed right now, because they are afraid with the weather and everything. The problem is we feel like we can’t close. If we close, our neighborhood is doomed, White explained.
The team at Inspired Vision Compassion Center said it could use volunteers. Anyone interested could find more information on the center’s Facebook page.