Pflugerville food pantry helping fill holiday food gap

Saffron Trust’s food pantry is staying open through the week after New Year’s Day to fill the food gap caused by schools and other pantries being closed for the holidays. 

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) - Saffron Trust’s food pantry is staying open through the week after New Year’s Day to fill the food gap caused by schools and other pantries being closed for the holidays. 

Stacey Fletcher is the program manager of the pantry and said continuing access to food is crucial. 

With Pflugerville ISD schools not returning to class until Jan. 9, Fletcher said staying open will help replace the meals a school-aged child would’ve received, and by extension their family. 

“Hunger doesn’t take a holiday. There are still people that don't get to go on vacation, they don't get to take time off. They're trying their best to work, they’re caring for someone,” Fletcher said. 

The pantry is part of the Feed Austin Families program, which works with other agencies to offer groceries and fresh meals to clients. 

The meals are given out based on a family’s income, but groceries are available to any Travis County resident. 

Some groceries are also “rescue food,” said Fletcher. 

The program works with stores like Trader Joe’s to take products that are still in perfect condition but may have been thrown away otherwise.

Volunteer and client Norma Leban said the pantry helps her as a retiree. 

She said the food supplements her kitchen, as the price of groceries have mostly risen outside of what she can afford. 

“I’m 75 years old. For retired people like me, everything helps,” Leban said. 

The pantry will be open this Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It can be found at 1006 Old Austin Hutto Road in Pflugerville.