SAN ANTONIO – Starting Thursday, the San Antonio Food Bank will launch a month-long coronavirus “preparedness and prevention campaign."
The Food Bank aims to reach as many as 300,000 low-income households in the Food Bank’s southwest Texas service territory with a 14-day supply of food and a coronavirus preparedness kit.
"Our low-income families, particularly our seniors on fixed incomes, don’t have the luxury of stocking up in case of a virus outbreak, and they certainly don’t have the ability to weather a two-week quarantine or leave-without-pay if their place of employment sees a slow down in business,” said Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.
The Food Bank’s 14-day food benefit will consist largely of items in its “12 Most Wanted” list; staple non-perishable items like rice, beans, pasta, soups, canned meats, canned vegetables and fruits, along with diapers and pet food.
The coronavirus preparedness kit will contain hand sanitizer and cleaning disinfectant, along with other items available to the Food Bank.
How to Get Help
According to a news release, the Food Bank will implement a three-part effort to help deliver their preparedness food benefits and coronavirus prevention kits to those in need: targeted mobile distributions in urban and rural areas of southwest Texas; stocking super-pantries and senior centers with the benefit; and, opening up a portion of their warehouse for individual drop-in to secure the benefit.
It’s normal to get nervous about the coronavirus, but there are some things you can do to stop the spread to keep you and your family safe.
- Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds.
- Disinfect objects and surfaces with household cleaning sprays or wipes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends face masks only be used for those who are showing symptoms to stop the spread of the virus.
How to Give Help
The Food Bank aims to raise $1,500,000 (or the equivalent of 15,000,000 lbs of food/cleaning supplies).
Make a Donation: Every $5 provides one food/cleaning benefit to a person in need, with the goal to distribute 300,000 prevention and preparedness benefits in a month.
Volunteer your time: Special volunteer shifts will be set up for the campaign.
Get the latest updates on the coronavirus on KSAT.com here.
For more information, visit safoodbank.org.
KSAT Community operates in partnership with University Health System, Energy Transfer and Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union.