Salvation Army struggles as food pantry empties daily
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Farnando Araiza waits patiently for a hot meal after losing his job. "You know it’s hard to fill out the unemployment forms right now," said Araiza.
Araiza says he’s not sure what he would do without help from the Salvation Army. "I would be starving. This is the only place I can come to get a hot meal."
He is just one of hundreds of people waiting in long lines for food supplies from the non profit.
"We don’t have enough food for the community. There are a lot of people in the line up to 100 people every Monday, Wednesday and Friday," said Captain Vicky Villanea of The Salvation Army.
Villanea is hoping that the community will step up and donate anything they can. "We’re running out of food. We need help. More people don’t have a job, the children are staying in the house and the parents need to cook," said Villanea.
The Salvation Army says some people are waiting in line for hours before the food pantry is even open.
If you’d like to help the Salvation Army regain its food supplies, you can either donate online at https://www.santamaria.salvationarmy.org/ or drop off donated items at its headquarters at 200 West Cook Street in Santa Maria.
