What began as an East Texas Food Bank Mobile Pantry has evolved into a locally operated Community Produce Distribution, with dozens of volunteers working each month to help local families receive fresh produce.
Until January 2026, the Quitman and Mineola distribution sites were operated and supervised by the East Texas Food Bank (ETFB). In January, responsibility for day-to-day logistics was handed over to local teams. ETFB continues to provide the food, while local volunteers now organize and manage the work required to get that food into the hands of families.
The ETFB Quitman Mobile Pantry began in December 2021 and, through December 2025, had provided food to more than 23,000 families. The Quitman distribution is held once a month on the third Wednesday.
The ETFB Mineola Mobile Pantry began in October 2022 and had served just under 20,000 families through December 2025. Mineola’s distribution is held on the last Thursday of each month.
Families may attend either distribution, or both, and no identification is required.
Each site receives between 13,000 and 15,000 pounds of food for each distribution. Volunteers do not know which produce will arrive in bulk and require repackaging into family-sized bags until the ETFB truck arrives, usually around 8 a.m. They must be prepared to quickly assess what has arrived and organize the work needed before repackaging begins.
A New Local Model
Under the new structure, local teams recruit and manage volunteers, provide the equipment and supplies needed for each distribution, and handle cleanup after the distribution is completed.
The transition would not have been possible without the facilities staff of Quitman ISD and Mineola ISD. They provide packing tables, tractors to unstack and relocate pallets, and storage between monthly distributions. They also helped establish a distribution-line system that provides a safer and more efficient environment for volunteers.
Since the transition, both sites have refined their operations and are running smoothly. Volunteers learned from experience during the early months, adjusted their procedures and continued to improve the way each distribution is conducted.
One of the biggest changes has been the initial setup of the distribution line, eliminating the need to move pallets during the actual distribution. The result is a system that allows volunteers to concentrate on the people they are serving rather than on moving equipment and supplies.
Volunteers Make the Difference
Volunteers are at the heart of the program’s success. They come from service organizations, businesses, churches and throughout the community.
Participants include members of the Quitman, Mineola and Big Sandy Rotary Clubs; Pilot Club of Quitman; Quitman-Lake Fork Kiwanis Club; churches; businesses; and individual volunteers, primarily from Wood County.
Each distribution typically involves between 25 and 40 volunteers. Their work allows the teams to quickly pack the produce, organize the distribution line and keep families moving through the loading area.
Once a family pulls into the loading zone, the volunteer “pit crew” goes to work. Volunteers quickly load the produce into the vehicle, and in many cases, the family is back on the road and heading home within about a minute.
That speed is the result of preparation and teamwork. Before families arrive, volunteers have already spent considerable time unloading, sorting, packing and organizing the produce. Once distribution begins, each volunteer has a role, allowing the process to move quickly and efficiently.
Families often thank the volunteers for providing fresh produce at no cost. For the volunteers, those moments serve as a reminder of why their work matters.
Nothing Goes to Waste
When the distribution concludes, volunteers clean up and stack equipment and supplies for the school districts to store until the next distribution.
Inedible, non-citrus produce is given to farmers for their animals. Remaining edible produce is taken to Rosehill Pantry and Kindness Kottage in Mineola, as well as the Winnsboro Resource Center Pantry when space is available and the pantries are open. These pantries are partners with the East Texas Food Bank.
A Community Effort
What started as an East Texas Food Bank Mobile Pantry has grown into a strong example of what can happen when a community takes an active role in serving its neighbors.
The East Texas Food Bank continues to provide the food, but local volunteers, school districts, service organizations, churches, businesses and other community partners now work together to make each distribution happen.
More than 42,000 family distributions have been made through the Quitman and Mineola programs since they began. Behind that number are thousands of individual families, hundreds of volunteers and countless hours of preparation.
The transition from a Mobile Pantry to a locally operated Community Produce Distribution demonstrates that community service is not simply about providing food. It is about people working together — often behind the scenes — to make sure that food reaches the families who need it.

Volunteer Information
Those interested in volunteering with the Quitman Community Produce Distribution may contact wcmartin1@gmail.com.
Those interested in volunteering with the Mineola Community Produce Distribution may contact greg@onebootranch.com.