Delivery Restocks S. Austin Food Pantry

Austin, TX - A South Austin food pantry is back in business after bare shelves forced it to close it's doors Monday.  The St. Vincent De Paul food pantry at St. Ignatius Church was able to give away food Tuesday thanks in part to our generous viewers.

Volunteers were happy to unpack and stock their shelves again especially after bare shelves forced them to close Monday.

They had to turn away families like Adrianna Amaro, who has three children and relies solely on this food pantry.

She says she was "very sad."

"You had to go up to the families and feel badly because we had to turn them away because we had no food," said Volunteer Lisa Linskay.

But thanks to a delayed shipment that came in Tuesday morning and to Austinites like Phyllis Fitzgerald, the pantry is full again.

Fitzgerald says she went shopping, filled up her trunk with donations, just so she can help out.

"I heard you guys doing the story in the news last night and I thought I got to do something . The only thing I can do is donate to these people."

"If it wasn't for my grandfather, my grandparents, and food banks, I don't know what my mother would have done. We had four small childrens so yeah, this is dear to me."

The empty shelves touched the hearts of local businesses too.  Kruger's Diamond Jewelers donated $3000 which is the cost of operating the pantry for a week.  Owner, David Kruger says he feels blessed and wanted to help.
 

Freebirds World Burrito is also doing what it can.  It is a hosting a food and clothing drive this Friday at the Congress Ave and Riverside Drive location from noon until three in the afternoon.

While volunteers are grateful, they say these shelves routinely empty out by the end of the week.

Demand for donations has increased from 1200 to 1500 a month last year, to nearly 6000 last month.

"We always have a long line of people coming in each day and we're able to provide the food when we have it."

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