Deep East Texas Resource Center opens to provide services in Lufkin
The East Texas Food Bank has officially opened its newest program, the Deep East Texas Resource Center, at 105 Lofton St. Lufkin, TX 75904. The goal of DETRC is to augment the good work done by Lufkin’s current food pantries and provide a one-stop-shop of wraparound services with a food pantry, benefits assistance and other support services for families in deep East Texas.
The food pantry will operate Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Families don’t have to live in Lufkin to visit the pantry.
The food pantry is meant to serve households at or below the Emergency Food Assistance Program income guidelines. Families that are experiencing a crisis may also qualify for short-term food assistance.
No identification or paperwork is required to receive assistance. Clients will be asked for a verbal declaration of their full name, address, number of people in the household, date of birth and monthly income.
There are two COVID-safe options to receive food from the pantry.
- CURBSIDE– To limit the amount of contact with volunteers and food pantry staff, clients can park in the parking lot. They will be greeted by a volunteer, who will obtain the following information: Full name, address, number of people in the household, date of birth, and monthly income. Once this is complete, the volunteer will load food into their vehicle.
- INSIDE– For clients that would like to choose their food, they can shop inside. Clients will be greeted at the reception desk, where a volunteer will take their temperature and provide them with a mask if needed. Masks will be required to receive food inside. If the temperature is in a safe range, clients will be asked their full name, address, number of people in the household, date of birth and monthly income. After that, they’ll sit in the waiting area for a short time before walking through our food pantry to select food from a range of shelf-stable items, meat, and fresh produce. Grocery carts will be available.
In addition to the food pantry, the DETRC will host nutrition education classes, provide on-site and virtual benefits assistance and provide access to other services such as Texas Workforce Commission and WIC. A list of all programs and services can be found at www.detrc.org.
DETRC was able to open with funding from a grant provided by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation.
If you would like to support DETRC, you can follow and share the Facebook page, volunteer and donate.