LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) - In observance of National Food Bank Day, we remember how our local food banks played an important role during the pandemic.
While many foodbanks and volunteers continue to help those put food on the table, one tool is helping one of our food banks move forward.
Last year when the pandemic first hit, the Laredo Regional Food Bank was able to feed 100,000 families in need, many of which didn’t have to spend as much time waiting in long lines for their food supplies.
This was when they introduced their app developed by AdComp which has made it easier to serve just as many people, twice as fast.
The wait time has gone from 3 hours to just 20 minutes.
Even with less manpower, the Laredo Regional Food Bank is still able to move faster than before with their phone app.
As hundreds of cars line up for their food supplies, staff is able to attend families and register them in just three seconds, all with the help of an app.
All that’s needed is to scan an ID. After that, every car can get their supplies.
The process is even faster for returning families.
“It’s faster for us also when they’re registered because we just scan it with our app and we just go to the next person and so forth,” said Alexia Gonzalez.
With this phone app, lines run smoother as 300 meals are distributed in just an hour.
This is beneficial for every family that’s waiting, including our less vulnerable population, like the elderly.
“They start really early in order for them to be ahead of everyone and get the food that they want. They just wanna get the food and leave, they don’t wanna wait a long time.”
The Laredo Regional Food Bank serves more than a thousand people a month.
They hold food distribution drives every Friday where 300 families are invited to get food supplies.
All that’s needed is an ID to register.
The food distributions are at 8 a.m.
The Laredo Regional Food Bank is accepting donations like canned items and is accepting volunteers as well.
