NewsLocal News

Actions

Hundreds line up for mega food distribution

Posted at 5:54 PM, Nov 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-20 19:58:33-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Cars lined up around the block at Bond Community Health Centers food distribution site.

From South Gadsden street to Monroe, a line that some waited in since 8:00 a.m. Traffic was at a standstill.

"I've been here since 8 a.m.," said Denise Hendricks

With the pandemic hitting families hard this holiday season, families like Hendricks' need a little extra help.

"I haven't had a job in a year, so this helps me greatly," Hendricks said.

Volunteers, including Florida A&M University's Alpha Phi Alpha, helped load over 800 cars with food for families in need.

"Thanksgiving is time for you to be around your family and around your friends, and this year is different for a bunch of different reasons, but opportunities to give back to the community and to feed people and to feed families helps bring some type of normalcy to everything," said Xavier McClinton, one of the volunteers.

The line, volunteers say, shows the desperate need some families are in to help make ends meet.

"When you think in the context of the pandemic and what impact that's had on a lot of families and their ability to put food on the table to provide for their kids, and their mothers, and brothers, and sisters, food drives like this only do a short, temporary deed," McClinton said. "So, what we need is to continue to have support and to hopefully get out of this pandemic so we can get folks back to work and provide for their families."

There will be two more food distributions by Bond Community Health on Saturday at Gene Cox stadium and Tallahassee Community College at 10:00 a.m.

"When you talk about the food and housing insecurity issue in the community, that's what we've been fighting for with the FAMU students," said McClinton. "If there's that many people and that many families that need food, that's something we need to draw attention to and make sure we address."

For more information, click here.