The Austin Street Church of Christ Food Pantry is just one of many food outreach programs vital to the Levelland community.
Managed by Kathy Robinson, the food outreach program operates every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is available to anyone in the community who meets the eligibility requirements.
The food pantry operates at the church, located at 510 Austin St.
Minister Jay Kelley states that the pantry has been “going on for a while. Nobody actually knows when it started,” adding that the food pantry has existed in many iterations, but currently, they give out 16 boxes with 30 to 40 pounds of food.
To receive food from the food pantry, individuals must meet the same requirements as those needed to qualify for food from the South Plains Food Bank. These are mainly income requirements, which change depending on the number of people living in a household. The food pantry also gives out food to people experiencing emergencies.
Kelley says there is a consistent turn-up at the pantry, but some days are quicker than others.
“We gave out all 16 boxes by 11 a.m. today,” Kelley stated during the interview.
He says they could give out “three times the food and still have a need.”
The food pantry had been buying its food from the South Plains Food Bank, where Kelley says the food “is cheap when we can get it.” He notes that right now, “the food bank isn’t a lot of help,” because it has lost a good amount of federal support.
“This country's been broke, and money has to be cut somewhere. Federal programs that supported food outreaches are going away, so there is a further reliance on donations from church and the public.” The Food Pantry now buys most of its food from Walmart, where they spend around $1,000 each month. Kelley says they take donations of food and money from church members and are open to taking donations from the community.
However, he wished to emphasize that the donations they receive are for the food bank specifically.
“We do not ask anyone to help support the church. We support ourselves.” He adds that the Food Pantry “is separate from the church and benefits the community. We do not desire donations for the church, just the foodbank.”
When asked if the Food Pantry was used in any way as a religious outreach, Kelley replied only “passively”. He explained that as a cooperative agency of the South Plains Food Bank, the food pantry must adhere to certain guidelines, and that South Plains College hosts training once a year on the FDA rules on discrimination and religion. “If we required religious service, we’d lose South Plains,” Kelley says, adding, “We’re not here to bribe people to come in; we just want to help.”
According to Kelley, those receiving donations from the food pantry were mainly elderly individuals on fixed incomes and a few on disability, only one or two of whom were church members.
“Lots of retirees. Not too many families. With gas and food prices rising, we may start seeing a little more of working people who can’t quit make it.”
Kelley said he believes that the food people receive is not enough to last a month and sees the food pantry as “a supplement to what they can get.”
With many different agencies of the South Plains Food Bank operating around town, Kelley encouraged people who need food to “reach out to multiple entities.” He noted that the Church on the Rock coordinates a mobile food pantry for the town, and that Rural Health has a pantry for patients and South Plains College has one for students.
Kelley also mentioned the First Methodist Church on 1011 Houston St. in Levelland, which hosts a dine-in only lunch on the first and third Thursday of each month, August through May. Although it is not affiliated with the South Plains Food Bank, anyone can attend if they make reservations.
Additional entities around Levelland are also working to support the community with food needs. 3 Eleven Church (previously named First Christian Church) on 311 Clubview Drive, gives out food boxes and clothes every other Tuesday. The First Baptist Church operates a Levelland Blessing Box between Houston Street and Avenue C, which church members keep stocked with food. There are additional Blessing Boxes around Levelland as well.
Ultimately, the Levelland community is doing a lot to support citizens in need of food, and as prices rise and federal support dwindles, this support is more vital and appreciated than ever.