SAN ANTONIO – An emergency food pantry on the West Side, strictly operated by volunteers, is reminding people and families living paycheck-to-paycheck that they should never be ashamed to seek help.
Inner City Development is located at 1300 Chihuahua Street.
The pantry has operated for decades and serves those experiencing homelessness six days a week through its sack lunch program.
The organization also serves people in emergency food crises five days a week through their food pantry.
“For whatever reason, people are running short of food,” said Patti Radle, who serves as co-executive director of Inner City Development, alongside her husband. “Perhaps, they are helping someone else who moved in with them, and that is creating a crisis out of their generosity. And we are glad to help support them.”
Radle said they have received calls from a variety of people.
“Sometimes, it is a person in a very desperate situation, but also, we have some people who have been doing fine. Maybe they drive up in a very nice car, but they have just lost their job,” Patti Radle said. “Some people get mad when they see that, but in reality, that person may be struggling to feed their family because they have actively been searching for a job, but their finances are running low.”
The organization not only provides lunch, food, baby items and other services needed to support families but also helps clients find ways to overcome obstacles.
“The idea is to not just to get food, but to also to help them find other resources to help take care of their issues,” Inner City Development co-executive director Rod Radle said.
“We don’t want to nurture co-dependence,” Ericka Mahoney, the organization’s administrative assistant, said. “We are trying to nurture independence.”
Most of all, through their services, they are very clear about making people feel loved and not judged through this process.
“The world can be a little cruel sometimes, and sometimes, you just need a place where you can have some compassion and no judgment,” Mahoney said.
“It is what we are called to do,” Rod Radle said. “We are not preaching at people or anything like that. If we are called to carry out what we are supposed to carry out, then you just do it.”
“My husband and I know what it is like to be on food stamps,” Patti Radle said. “Everyone has their own challenges, and we are located where we are because this is an area that is very economically challenged.
“We want people to know that when they come to Inner City, we want them to know this is a place that is welcoming and loving.”
The organization operates its sack lunch program for people experiencing homelessness between 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
Their emergency food pantry operates from 9:15 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Anyone who may need Inner City Development’s services can call them at (210) 224-7239.
Inner City Development’s website provides a breakdown of its programs and the organization’s history.
“I mean, this is a priceless gem here in the heart of San Antonio where it has survived over 50 years strictly on volunteers … I mean, where do you find that nowadays? … You don’t,” Mahoney said.
Anyone who may need Inner City Development’s services can call them at (210) 224-7239.
