In the two weeks the Good Samaritan Ministries’ food pantry has been open in December, more than 600 families have come through the front door. Each of those families has left with a basket of their regular grocery staples in addition to a special box of Christmas food with most of the ingredients to prepare a traditional Christmas dinner.

Before Dec. 23, that number is expected to double.

“We anticipate close to 1,200 families to pick up groceries this month,” said Angelia Bostick, Executive Director of Good Samaritan Ministries. “There has been an unusually high number of new families and families who are returning after a long absence in the preceding months.”

In addition to providing food through the food pantry, there are five other hunger ministries all operating at the same time through the Food Warehouse. There is also the Food for Thought Program providing weekend food to chronically hungry students in Brown County schools, the Homebound Program delivering boxes of food to shut-ins, homeless food boxes, the Deer Project and the Pig Project.

“There’s always a lot going on at GSM from the hunger ministries to the resale store, financial assistance and volunteers actively taking part in the day’s activities,” said Bostick. “It takes a lot to keep an organization this size operating from month to month.”

Bostick said the work that Good Samaritan Ministries does happens year-round. They serve more than 5,000 households through the food pantry, averaging around 1,000 families each month. There are almost 150 students receiving a weekend’s worth of food on the Food for Thought program each week. Five households have boxes of food delivered to them through the Homebound Program. Close to 40 homeless individuals receive a box of food each month. Already this year, more than 10,000 pounds of venison has been donated to the freezers of GSM and is already being distributed. Anywhere from 60 to 120 shoppers visit the Resale store every day during the four hours they are open to the public.

“The money we raise at the end of the year helps ensure that we can start the new year strong, with food on the pantry shelves and in the warehouse for our other programs,” said Bostick. “It ensures that we can pay our staff and our bills so that we can continue to operate in the most efficient ways possible.”

If you haven’t given already and would like to make a tax-deductible, year-end donation, you may do so online at goodsambwd.org, mail it to P.O. Box 1136, Brownwood, TX, 76804 or stop by 305 Clark Street to make your donation in person.

“Please remember that you can also make a donation in memory of a loved one or in honor of that person in your life that just doesn’t need another tie or pair of slippers,” said Bostick. “If it’s a memorial, we will send a card to their family acknowledging your gift. If it’s in honor of someone, we will send a card to the recipient letting them know of your gift.”

Bostick added that 100% of your donations stays in Brown County to help local friends and neighbors.

For more information about Good Samaritan Ministries visit their website at goodsambwd.org or feel free to call 325-643-2273.