Minnie’s Food Pantry needs donations

PLANO, TX – Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano is starting off 2021 with a call for donations. The food pantry distributed most of its supplies to needy families before Christmas. Founder Dr. Cheryl Jackson estimated that they ended 2020 with only 25% of their normal supply of food.

“We’ve gone from serving 5,000 people a month to at our peak 33,000 people a month,” said Dr. Jackson, “and the need is going to be even greater in 2021.”

Many families are still facing economic difficulties because of COVID-19, Dr. Jackson says, along with facing bills that are due from spending in December.

“The need is going to be even greater in January because some of the people decided that they would spend an extra $50 or $100 to buy a Christmas gift,” she said. “And when January hits, they’ll wonder ‘how can I pay my light bill, how can I pay my utilities?’ So they’ll say ‘let me pay this’, and go to Minnie’s Food Pantry for food. We need to be there for these people – we really have to be there.”

She says the community has been generous with its donations during 2020, but the need has not disappeared in 2021. “There’s going to be a loud voice that’s going to sound…calling everybody who can – can they just give canned goods or a dollar to help us re-stock our empty shelves?” she said.