BEAUMONT, Texas — The Southeast Texas Food Bank is seeking volunteers and donations in preparation for the holidays.
Thanksgiving is just 20 days away and the Southeast Texas Food Bank wants to make sure everyone has something on the table for the holidays. However, they need the public's help to make it happen.
During the next three weeks, they need people to step up to volunteer. They are also asking for donations.
Chief Administrative Officer Jimmy Sparks says the organization is seeking 300 to 400 volunteers to help package more than 2 million pounds of food in the next 60 days that'll go to people in need this holiday season.
The organization is looking for people to volunteer for a two hour shift this month and throughout December.
"It's the holiday season, it's the time of giving, there's no time like the present, to help out your community. So might as well do it right now while you can," Jacqueline Marroquin, food bank volunteer said.
"And they do it in shifts. And it's really short shifts and just give back," Shaylee Sonnier, food bank volunteer said.
Shaylee Sonnier and Jacqueline Marroquin are nursing students at Lamar University. They volunteer their time twice a week building boxed meals for seniors.
"Today alone, like I said, we did 360 something boxes today. Yesterday, I think we did 4 or 500 boxes I can't even count anymore. But that's a lot of people just in our community alone. I can't imagine how many people that we're helping just this time of year," Marroquin said.
The meals you build feed people across eight Southeast Texas Counties.
"The assembly line is back here. We all spread out into different stations. They have it nice and marked. About how many cans and cereal boxes need to go inside one box. And then it just gets passed down," Sonnier said.
There are also volunteer opportunities in the food bank's warehouse.
But food and cash donations are also accepted.
"Because of our ability to source food, one dollar will provide 3 meals to people in the community. This is our busiest time of the year but we're excited about it and we love it," Sparks said.
You can volunteer your time during the week and weekends and drop off food donations directly at the food bank.