Barney Carbajal could have spent his retirement playing golf and not much else, but that's not who he is. Instead, Carbajal spends his time volunteering at the Network of Community Ministries food pantry in Richardson.
"I've been very fortunate all my life," Carbajal said. "I've had a lot of opportunities and I feel like I owe something back."
Carbajal is one of 80 volunteers a day that keep the community market running. About 400 families a week rely on it to stretch their budgets.
"We call them our neighbors, not our clients because that is exactly who they are. They could be your neighbor," Network of Community Ministries President and CEO Abbie Kauffman said. "During the pandemic, that definitely exposed the food insecurity in our area, and that has only continued to persist."
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The food pantry operates like a grocery store. On Wednesday morning, there was a waiting list to come in and shop.
"These are working poor," Carbajal said. "Feedback from people that you're working with and helping is incredible, and I think I get more back than I give."
Network of Community Ministries serves a 46-square-mile area that includes Richardson, parts of Dallas, and parts of Garland.
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This is National Volunteer Month. For information on how to volunteer at Network of Community Ministries, click here.
