Huge Food Giveaway In McKinney Highlights Job Loss, Hunger Problem During Coronavirus Pandemic
McKINNEY, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A huge food giveaway in McKinney on Tuesday barely had enough to meet the demand.
By the end of it, about 35,000 pounds of food was handed out to the families who lined up outside McKinney ISD's football stadium.
David Davis and Tracy Crow said they never had much, but up until a few weeks ago, they had jobs at a McKinney Waffle House, a place to live and each other.
"I was a cook and she was a waitress and we got to where we weren't making no money," said Davis.
The restaurant shortened its hours and laid them off.
Tuesday, they were hungry and in line for free boxed meals outside McKinney's stadium.
"It's hard. it gets hard sometimes."
It's been more than a month since either of them received a dime of income.
So now they are forced to live in their SUV.
"Sometimes it's tough, but we love each other so it don't hurt too bad," said Davis.
"The only thing I can think of when things get bad is they could be so much worse," said Crow. "There's so many people out there who have a whole lot less than we do."
There are stories like their's behind the wheel of many of the cars waiting in line for boxes that contain 20 meals for two people.
Community Lifeline Center teamed up for the North Texas Food Bank for its biggest giveaway ever.
"In the last five weeks we have quadrupled our capacity and we are almost at capacity now," said Scott Elliott, CEO of Community Lifeline Center.
Davis and Crow said they haven't received unemployment checks and are surviving "by the grace of God, Buddy."
Still, they refuse to let their extreme hardship get them down.
The couple has a mattress in the back of their Ford and park it in a friend's driveway, desperately waiting for word if the restaurant will hire them back.
Community Lifeline Center says the next giveaway like this has not yet been scheduled.