LIMESTONE COUNTY, Texas — Mart High Schooler’s filled shopping carts Friday, Feb. 16 to feed the community. Waco’s Food pantry, Shepherds Heart, hosted a mobile food pantry in Mart to see if the area is in need of local food assistance.

• The distribution allowed for more than 200 families to receive more than $200 dollars worth of groceries.
• The whole point of the distribution is to see if the Mart community has a need for the food assistance.
• Mart ISD superintendent said the Mart population is 75 percent economically disadvantaged.
• Mart ISD is looking for a sponsor to pay the $28,000 to pay for the building with Shepherd’s Heart needing to provide the food.

BROADCAST SCRIPT:
“Food is kind of a long way from Mart, so we came to get free food,” Zadie Reeves said.

A food desert in Mart — nine-year-old Zadie Reeves, her sister, and mother, walked up to Mart High School for the Shepherds Heart mobile food pantry.

“We don’t have to spend money, because our granny is kind of drowning in bills,” Zadie Reeves said.

They’re not the only ones.

“There are so many people my age and older that just can’t make it on their checks,” Mickey Bruce said.

The distribution was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. — Mickey Bruce rolled up on his bicycle at 1:15 p.m. and found a string of cars lined up.

“This means that we’re going to get to eat for a week, maybe more, I got kicked off of SNAP and it’s been two months now, so this is major,” Bruce said.

The whole point of the distribution, is to see if the Mart community has a need for the food assistance — Mart ISD superintendent says the Mart population is 75 percent economically disadvantaged.

“We still have so many kids that come to school and they’re hungry, or they come to school and they’re parents have fallen on rough times, and they just don’t have any food at home,” Mart ISD Superintendent said.

Bruce tells me from the looks of his basket, he’s saving more than $100 on groceries from this trip — more than 200 families received that same help.

“It just takes the stress off from the people that live paycheck to paycheck and it’ll help out, and they’ll be able to go home and feel good about having a meal,” Abram Ross said.

If Shepherd’s Heart does feel the need is high, the location of the food pantry will be right near the high school, fully stocked with a refrigerator and a freezer.

Mart ISD superintendent says they are looking for a sponsor to pay the $28,000 to pay for the building with Shepherd’s Heart needing to provide the food.

Shepherd’s Heart has already placed a food pantry in Bellmead.