Downtown food pantry saw 24 percent of county in 2023

The Downtown Food Pantry served 24 percent of the Lamar County population in 2023. “We saw an average of 750 families weekly,” executive director Allan Hubbard said.

More than 12,352 people in 4,526 households received groceries numerous times in the year through both the primary location just north of downtown Paris and in the three satellite pantries distributing out in smaller communities.

Total pounds of groceries given out was 2.3 million which made about 1.97 million meals. All of it was given free.

“It’s an incredible blessing to the large numbers of people who come especially as the economy has made groceries so expensive,” Hubbard said. “And for us to have so many faithful and generous donors and volunteers to keep this going is just amazing.”

The pantry also installed a 300-square-foot custom-built freezer thanks to a North Texas Food Bank grant. This enables more frozen protein to be temporarily stored and distributed, Hubbard said.

Satellite pantries operate in Blossom, Powderly and Roxton. The days and times of those satellite distributions are available on the pantry’s website: downtownfoodpantry.org.

Food is distributed every Tuesday from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. at 124 W.

Cherry St. The only requirement to receive the groceries is that a person lives in Lamar County. A family can “shop” every other week, or up to 26 times per year.

To volunteer or donate, visit downtownfoodpantry.org, or call 903-737-8870. Every $10