Every county in Texas was under a state of emergency following a rare winter storm in mid-February. The heavy snow, ice, and bitterly cold temperatures caused widespread damage as water pipes froze in many locations. Millions were left without power for several days.
Midwest Food Bank was ready to respond when partner The Salvation Army requested Disaster Relief. Within 24 hours, the first load of family food boxes was on the way south. In the days that followed, MFB sent a semi load nearly every day.
“We see this as an opportunity to live out our mission of sharing the love of Christ,” says Mike Hoffman, Procurement Director for Midwest Food Bank. “Our dedicated volunteers and generous donors allow MFB to bring help and hope to those in need.”
In addition to the food boxes, MFB sent semi loads of water to help the victims. Frozen plumbing made water scarce.
“With boil orders in effect in many areas, the demand for water is very high,” says David Emerson, Executive Director of MFB Texas. “People are scrambling for basic food and water needs.”
All told, Midwest Food Bank sent 35 semi loads of relief to Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. 24 loads were family food boxes, and 11 were bottled water.
MFB Texas did experience a power outage but was soon able to resume distributing food to its partner agencies. Separate from the efforts coordinated with the Salvation Army, MFB Texas was able to send Disaster Relief to Fairfield and Mexia, TX.
For additional information on MFB’s Disaster Relief Program, click here.
