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Salvation Army recovers from theft, ready to reopen food pantry

Posted at 9:23 PM, Jul 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-02 22:23:20-04

What a difference a couple of weeks makes. That’s how long the Salvation Army’s food pantry has been in restocking mode after the non-profit was the target of theft.

"Several items were taken including food donations and some belongings of the Salvation Army," explains Monica Salazar, the organization’s public relations director.

However, thanks to both a slew of donations from community partners and the public, the food pantry is ready to open its doors again on Tuesday.

Salazar says of the service, "It’s very important, very crucial because we serve about 400 to 500 food grocery bags every month, so that equals up to about 1,500 to 2,000 individuals every month."

Just several days ago, more than 40 volunteers helped assemble 500 bags that will be handed out to the public. They contain mostly non-perishable food items including canned goods, rice, chips and other snack foods. The volunteers were from places including Ray High School, Veterans Memorial High School, the Juvenile Justice Center, and Kirby Baptist Church in San Antonio.

Salazar says many of the Salvation Army’s community partners helped restock the pantry. She says donations from H-E-B, the Coastal Bend Food Bank and the Kenedy Foundation went a long way in helping them get back on their feet.

The community also stepped up to assist. That includes a donation drive on Sunday at Funtrackers. The Kustom Oldies Corpitos Classics car club teamed up with the business in Flour Bluff to help collect food and money for the Salvation Army, and they added a bonus donation.

"They donated a pressure washer. A pressure washer was actually stolen here so we’re actually able to get that back," Salazar says.

The Salvation Army has now installed a security system to keep the food pantry secure. Salazar tells KRIS 6 News an arrest has been made in the theft and vandalism incident. We have contacted the Corpus Christi Police Department for more information.

The food pantry at 1802 Buford Street will open at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 3. Distribution of grocery bags will continue until 1:30 p.m. The service is open to the general public. The Salvation Army distributes the food bags on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of each month.