OUR TURN: Food pantries exemplify lesson of giving to others

Jesus Christ, the central figure of one of the planet’s most practiced religions, once told his followers it is better to give than to receive.

If there ever was a time to give, this is it.

A story in the River Cities Sunday Tribune last week painted a grim picture for area food pantries.

They have been hammered thin by the twin blows of the sagging economy and the horrendous wildfires that scorched Central Texas.

Representatives of these relief organizations say they need help more than ever before as the demand for food and assistance has increased by more than 50 percent since this time last year.

These facilities are struggling to keep goods on their shelves as more families hit by circumstances often beyond their control seek the help they need.

This community has always risen to the challenge, said Martin McLean, one of the coordinators behind the Marble Falls Helping Center.

Now is the time to rise to meet that need once more.

Colder weather is here, highlighting the necessity of providing additional food, assistance with utilities and warm clothing.

Christmas also is coming, and no one wants to see a child go without.

While we find ourselves in harsh times, it is moments like these that test the strength of communities and highlight just how far all of us are willing to go to help our neighbors.

The Labor Day weekend wildfires that swept across Central Texas destroying hundreds of homes and displacing thousands took their toll on the resources of not only the Helping Center but many area food pantries.

In Burnet and Llano counties, assistance facilities include Joseph’s Food Pantry, 706 N. Phillips Ranch Road in Granite Shoals; LACare, or Lakes Area Care Inc., located at 507 Buchanan Drive (also Texas 29) in Burnet; and Sharing the Harvest, located at 3435 RR 1431 West in Kingsland.

Many of the facilities receive disbursements from the Capital Area Food Bank in Austin, where resources are stretched thin in the aftermath of the Sept. 4 fires that scorched thousands of acres in Spicewood-Pedernales Bend, Steiner Ranch and especially Bastrop, the site of the largest wildfire in Texas history.

A historic drought, low humidity and high winds fueled the massive conflagrations, which disrupted the lives of hundreds of families.

Those blazes in Central Texas increased the demands on the Capital Area Food Bank, based in Austin. As a consequence, the Food Bank had to adjust its allocations, which affected local assistance facilities in the Highland Lakes.

Now is the time for you, your neighbors, your churches, schools, civic groups or clubs to pool resources, make donations or give of your time to help the less fortunate.

For starters, you can stop by this office at 1007 Ave. K in Marble Falls, where The Picayune — the sister newspaper to The Tribune — has sponsored a project to assist in stocking food pantry shelves. T-shirts are available adorned with the message you are helping to feed your community, and the low price of the garb goes a long way to help the less fortunate.

To help other food pantries, go to www.josephsfoodpantry.com, www.lacareburnet.org, www.llanofoodpantry.org. You also can call the Helping Center at (830) 693-5689 and Sharing the Harvest in Kingsland at (325) 388-0620.

Never forget, it is always better to give than to receive.