Grayson County Alliance (GCA) continues to fight hunger issues in Grayson County during these extremely difficult times as the county, state and nation battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
GCA Executive Director Debbie Childress has modified the organization’s services to adhere to social distancing to keep everyone safe. Those modifications, thought, have not adversely affected the number of families GCA services.
“In our March drive-thru food distributions we served 1,036 families,” Childress exclaimed. “We served 158 new families and were able to deliver to 89 senior adults and emergency situations. We continued to support 200 students with BackPack food.”
As K105 reported last month, government officials, law enforcement and everyday citizens have pitched-in to help GCA complete its mission of serving less financially fortunate families.”
“Working alongside our staff and helping with the increased workload were staff members from Grayson County government, the Grayson County Detention Center, the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, and Grayson County Schools. These groups and some key individuals made it possible for GCA to keep consistent services,” Childress said.
Childress noted that she anticipates an increase in food supply needs in the county during and immediately following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people have been laid off, fired or had their work hours greatly decreased.
Until further notice, GCA will offer drive-thru pick up every Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. and every Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
“In response to all the unemployment issues, the USDA has increased the eligibility guidelines for receiving support from the Alliance,” Childress noted. “For example, April’s guidelines allow a family of two with a gross monthly income of $2,658 to qualify for food support. This increase of $826 will help us stand in the gap for more local families.”
There is no reason for Grayson County families to go hungry, Childress said, before adding,“We have adjusted how we serve in light of the current national emergency, but we are here to help. Having served Grayson County for 19 years, GCA remains committed to feeding our community, teaching life skills and empowering family stability.”
Volunteer Tax Assistance
The VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) Program is operating as a drop-off only site. GCA is helping families retain more of their hard-earned money by filing taxes for FREE for families making $69,000 or less.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
