Hunger is Real in Amarillo: Condiments Are Not Food

Imagine being hungry.  Now imagine being hungry knowing you don't have anything in your pantry but condiments.  Does that make you nervous?

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This is a story from over 25 years ago, but it is a story that continues to be true today.

Catholic Family Services volunteers were delivering food one day to one of their clients.  That's when they discovered the truth.  This woman was making a meal out of hot water, salt, and pepper.  That was all she had to eat.

She was eating seasoned hot water.  

Seasoned hot water is even worse than ketchup soup which some people are faced to eat as a meal because of a lack of real food.  This is what thousands of people in the Texas Panhandle face on a daily basis,  empty pantries

This story set off a movement for Catholic Family Services and the Salt and Pepper Luncheon was founded 24 years ago.  No one should go hungry or be forced to eat hot water with salt and pepper to survive.

The purpose of the luncheon is to help re-stock the shelves of the Hunger Project grocery store.  This is a place where thousands of people throughout the Texas Panhandle have been able to re-stock their own pantries without having to worry about paying for the food.  A place to turn when they have nothing.

For those who are blessed to have a pantry and refrigerator full of food.  A place to go snack when you feel that tinge of hunger or even if you don't.  You have food, and probably a bunch of food that goes wasted every week.

Here's your chance to help the Hunger Project Grocery Store.  You can attend the Salt and Pepper luncheon.  The event is this Thursday, March 9th from 11:30 am - 1 pm.  The event will take place at St. Thomas the Apostle Church at 4100 S. Coulter Street.

The need for this type of help is bigger than it has ever been and you are greatly needed in this cause.

Amarillo native Brady Clark, co-founder, and Executive Director of Square Mile Community Development is this year’s guest speaker.

Tickets to the event are $35 and made be purchased and reserved here. You can make an additional donation at the event or at the link.

Help make sure no one else in the Texas Panhandle has to endure a meal of only water, salt, and pepper.