Army veteran Matt West of Salado has come to the Olin E. Teague Veterans’ Medical Center food pantry three or four times over the past few months to pick up groceries.
Having the pantry available to veterans has been a benefit, West said.
“It’s very kind, compassionate and empathetic that they offer this,” he said of the VA.
West has no dependents at home, but said in addition to the groceries he was in Temple Thursday to help Martha, a friend from the Nolanville DAV chapter 22, who was just ahead of him in line.
Celia Feller, social worker with the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, said the program, “Joining Hands, Feeding Veterans,” is a partnership between the VA and Central Texas Food Bank that provides food to veterans who need some help during the month in providing food to their families.
It offers participating veterans an opportunity to meet with registered dieticians and learn about anti-obesity programs offered at the VA. The food bank visits the Temple VA the fourth Thursday of each month.
The food pantry project began a year ago at the VA Austin Clinic and expanded to the Temple VA in December.
Plans are being made to begin offering the same program at the Waco VA in September, Feller said. The details are being ironed out.
“We have a lot of good volunteer support there,” she said.
Between the Austin and Temple sites from May 2017 to May 2018, more than 8,030 veterans and veteran households have been served by the project, Feller said.
“That equates to 120,000 meals and more than 148,000 pounds of food,” she said.
Since its start, the Temple pantry has served around 200 people each month. Central Texas Food Pantry brings enough food to serve 300 people.
In July, the Food Pantry is going to hold a food preparation demonstration, she said.
Feller said she thinks of the pantry as a way to share kindness and empowering others to be a better image of themselves.
“The food pantry offers an opportunity for the veterans to socialize and it’s a way to validate and honor the veterans' service,” she said. “We enjoy doing it.”
The Central Texas Veterans Health Care System’s “Joining Hands, Feeding Veterans” was one of three VA systems programs recognized for its successful collaboration established with non-governmental organizations that enhance services to their veteran populations.
The Veterans Health Administration has a Community Partner Challenge each year. This year’s theme was Return on Partnership. There were more than 100 entries.
Community partners volunteer at the food event each month.
“I wanted to do something we could do each month to support members of our community,” Taylor Alviar, manager of the Starbucks on Adams Avenue, said.
Alviar initially came out to help with the food pantry event at the VA on her own, and then invited some of the staff to join her.
“I wasn’t sure if they would want to participate or not, but every month I have a few join me out here,” Alviar said. “We just wanted to do something awesome, we’re all about community service. I wanted to do something that was near and dear to my heart.”
The Central Texas Food Bank visits the Temple VA campus the fourth Thursday of each month.
