OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Volunteers from across Omaha come out almost every day to the Society of St. Vincent De Paul food bank to help keep shelves stocked and pack food for the community.
Twelve-year-old Gabby Novotny isn't just visiting, she's a volunteer at the food pantry. It's a special role since her grandmother is the manager here. But it's an exciting part of her routine, especially during the summer months when she is off school.
"It makes me feel happy that you're giving food to someone else and you're helping them," Novotny said.
Volunteers like Novotny, help out shoppers like John Bentley, who's a regular.
"I wouldn't be here if it didn't," Bentley said. "It helps me."
Gayle Reyes, manager of the food pantry said that she has seen an uptick of people coming to the food pantry in the last couple of weeks.
"We're seeing a lot more people and we're also seeing people who come for the first time to the pantry," Reyes said. "We welcome them. Some of them are uncomfortable to come in, but we do see an increase in new people who come in."
The food pantry has been around for 30 years and donations come from different areas such as distributions from food drives and parishes.
The food pantry is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. To make donations, people can drive up Monday-Thursday from 9-am to 12-30 and drop off pre-packaged food.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
