MORTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Midwest Food Bank is deploying a two-phase truckload of emergency food boxes, along with The Salvation Army, to Texas following the catastrophic floods over the July 4 weekend.
John Cirilli, executive director, shares how this kind of aid is a part of their central mission.
“In our mission, disaster Relief is a big part of it,” said Cirilli. “Being a response to people in need, allowing our volunteers and our ability to procure food, combining those into a mission to support and provide supplies down to those affected by disaster.”
In Kerr County, flash floods delivered more than 10 inches of rain in hours, killing more than 100 people, including at least 28 children.
Cirilli said that having people willing to help is monumental in their efforts to support the families in Texas.
“To have volunteers come in and want to give their time and their efforts to this, it’s an amazing feeling,” he said. “It’s a big part of who we are as a food bank. We wouldn’t be anything without our volunteers.”
Tuesday, around 1,000 boxes of food were made by volunteers who spent two hours of their time packing them. Each box includes around 20 non-perishable food items.
Each two hours of volunteer work can fill half of a truck, with a full truck being filled in around 4 hours. But once it’s packed, the truck will take off as soon as the food bank gets a call from an agency that needs it.
Phase one of the emergency aid process includes 24 pallets of emergency food and hygiene supplies that have already been given to local partners of Midwest Food Bank.
Solid Rock Church was the first place to get a delivery, where a team from their organization is distributing aid directly to displaced families.
Phase two is about long-term recovery, which means restocking pantries and helping out organizations that are assisting affected families. This is already in preparation, and there will be a shipment out soon.
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