SAN ANTONIO – VIA Metropolitan Transit and the San Antonio Food Bank are partnering to make sure residents don't go hungry.
VIA bus operators are delivering meals and supplies to homes and distribution points throughout San Antonio.
More than 650 food packages will be delivered to nearly 500 locations.
The San Antonio Food Bank demand has increased significantly since the coronavirus pandemic began, officials said.
"Being a steward of the resources of the food that we have, especially in a rationed environment ... the biggest challenges for us is when we see families that need, and when we don't have all the resources that we want to give them, that's what breaks our heart. And that's what really emboldens us to ask the community for help," said Michael Guerra, chief development officer of the SA Food Bank.
Last week, during the food bank’s mega food distribution, 10,000 people showed up for food. There will be another distribution on Friday, and all appointments for it are already booked.
Guerra said future mega distributions will be scaled down to help 2,000 households, and preregistration will be required.
“There’s nothing we hate more than someone being turned away, but we’re only bringing so much food. So we know if more come, we won’t be able to serve them all," he said.
If you didn’t get a chance to sign up for the Friday’s distribution, you can call the food bank’s food pantry hotline to get assistance at 210-431-8326.
“The 500-plus food pantries in San Antonio, that’s our first line of defense. I mean, we want people to call our help line to find out where can they get to a food pantry near them,” Guerra said.