The mobile food pantry has been providing food in Alvin on a weekly basis since January 3, 2020. We have partnered with Manvel Community Outreach and the Houston Food Bank in order to bring fresh food and produce to Alvin, an area that struggles with food insecurity. 51.7% of Alvin ISD students qualify under Title 1 for free or reduced cost breakfast and lunch. The district has 18 Title 1 campuses. With all students now homebound, Grace, Alvin, believes it is more important than ever for us to help fill the gap. 
Every Thursday morning, the Houston Food Bank brings a refrigerated truck containing 8-10,000 pounds of fresh food and vegetables. The truck is set up in the Grace Church parking lot. Volunteers from Grace and other community organizations unload the food from the truck, bag it, and then guests then shop each station which contains the fresh food offerings.
In recent days, Grace, Alvin, has had to transition to a drive-thru mobile food pantry. Last week was our first attempt at this and 281 families (this is up 100 families from the previous week) were given around 35-40 pounds of food and we estimate around 1000 people were fed in Alvin because of these efforts! The drive-thru option allowed food to be given out in a safe way by the volunteers boxing up the food and then guests driving through the parking lot and the food delivered in their trunks. Some of these folks waited in the car line for up to two-hours to get their food. It was calm, ordered and all who received food were profoundly grateful.
Our next drive-thru will be Thursday, March 26 at 10 a.m. -1 p.m. at 200 West Lang Street in Alvin.
The Rev. Suzanne Smith is the priest-in-charge of Grace Episcopal Church in Alvin.
