PUNGOTEAGUE, Va. - The founder of the only food pantry for migrant workers in Virginia is stepping down. After four years of service, Angelica Garcia will be leaving the Dos Santos Food Pantry in Accomack County.
The pantry serves many migrant families in the county and many from the community are stepping up to make sure the programs continue.
Still, it's a tough change for many.
"She'll be greatly missed," Raquel Ruiz, a pantry volunteer, said.
Garcia, who is also the founder of Dos Santos Food Pantry, will be leaving the Eastern Shore later this month. She says she will be returning to California to help her own family.
"It's been really hard," Garcia said.
Ruiz says Garcia has become part of the family
"She lights up a room, everybody loves her," Ruiz said.
Dos Santos started as a small food pantry for migrant workers but has grown to offer many services including fresh produce, helping many migrants feel welcome despite being so far away from home.
"The irony is that they harvest those fields for us but they can't afford it," Garcia said. "It's wrong."
Still, Garcia sees her departure as a chance for a new beginning for the organization.
"This is also a time for growth on the community here, to step up and step into helping," Garcia said.
And volunteers like Ruiz want to make sure Dos Santos continue to grow.
"The pantry is going to stay here, the services are going stay here," Ruiz said. "It just means we will need more volunteers."
Garcia says that, despite the distance, she will continue to work closely with her team to ensure the migrant workers continue to get the help they need.
