Grayson Times

Feeding Fannin, in collaboration with the North Texas Food Bank, recently handed out about 10,000 pounds of food to 300 families in Fannin County.

According to the North Texas e-News, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the area's economy. Hundreds of people have either been laid off, furloughed, or fired from their jobs.

And while stay-at-home orders have forced many businesses to shut down which means business owners do not have the income to pay for basic personal necessities, the economic downturn has made it tough for people to feed their families.

As of May 2, Texas reported 29,229 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 816 deaths. Fannin County has 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Last month in Bonham, a long line of cars on West Sam Rayburn Drive stretched from the Bonham Armory to the town square, according to the North Texas e-News. Cars started lining up for food at around 8:15 a.m. and 300 families drove away with non-perishable items such as rice, beans, juice, canned meat, canned vegetables, peanut butter and soup, according to the North Texas e-News. 

Residents signed up for the food drive in advance so they could receive enough food for their families, though Feeding Fannin volunteers also distributed food to about 100 people who did not register for the event, according to the North Texas e-News.

Volunteers also handed out face masks to those who needed them.  

After the food drive was finished, the organization posted a message on social media about the event.

"THANK YOU to all the awesome, amazing volunteers who work so very hard! This was a tough day but after we gave all the boxes and bags we served 300 families that were very happy," the group wrote on its Facebook page.

Feeding Fannin would like to be able to expedite registrations for future events and they are currently in need of a laptop to do so. If you are able to donate a laptop, reach out to the organization on its Facebook page.