Thursday, Sept. 17 proved to be a busy day at the local C.A.R.E. Center on Second Street in Escalon, with the distribution of free food boxes to help families supplement their pantries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, new volunteer Karen Dickey brings another bag of items out from the local food cupboard facility to provide to a local resident. There are new hours of operation, the Wednesday hours are now 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., closed the Wednesday prior to the third Thursday of the month Government Commodities Day which also runs 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Brown Bag is the second and fourth Tuesday, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., with the Veggie Van there on the second Tuesday of the month.

Marg Jackson/The Times