SAN ANTONIO — The coronavirus pandemic is costing people their paychecks.
Marilyn Avila never thought she would end up at the San Antonio Food Bank. At 26 years old, she has a family to support and nowhere else to go.
"It's just really scary what's going on in the world," Avila said.
On Thursday, she got a phone call that left her terrified. The hotel she's worked at for months laid her off temporarily.
"At least for 12 weeks," Avila said. "They had 61 employees and now they only have 11, so a lot of us are just out there wondering what we should do next basically."
The San Antonio Food Bank was her first stop.
"We need water, canned foods, something to survive," Avila said.
Chief Resource Officer Michael Guerra said they've been a lot busier these days. Typically, they serve about 58,000 people each week.
Now, they're providing food to more than 80,000.
"We're seeing demand like we've never seen before – on a regular day, on a regular weekend – that's not a disaster from a hurricane," Guerra said. "It's unparalleled."
Guerra said a family of four will receive a full box of essential items, including soap and snacks. It should last them about a week, or however long they can stretch it for.
"The basics, we have changed from day to day—it depends on our community and what they're able to help us with," Guerra said. "We'll have rice, beans, peanut butter, tuna fish...things to sustain you."
Usually, people need to meet specific requirements to use the San Antonio Food Bank. Guerra said those they help are right along the poverty line. But in times like this, they're looking to help anyone who needs it.
"The declaration that someone is in need is generally going to be sufficient," Guerra said.
He said their main concern is giving people like Avila hope in uncertain times.
"Thankfully, we have somewhere to go," Avila said. "I just hope everything gets better."
Guerra said they are still fully staffed and looking for more volunteers to help with the additional people coming in. They're also in need of food and monetary donations. If you're interested in helping out, click here.
If you are in need of assistance, call the San Antonio Food Bank hotline at (210)431-8326. A client service navigator will make sure you get the food you need. They can also connect you to other services for help finding a job or childcare during this time.
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