Laredo Pantry de la Comunidad opens new pantry at Divine Mercy Park
Youth-led nonprofit Laredo Pantry de la Comunidad opened a new pantry site Friday at Divine Mercy Park, expanding its effort to provide free food and essential items to residents experiencing food insecurity.
The newest pantry is located at 9748 Diamond Drive, near the park's public restrooms. District VI Councilmember Dr. Tyler King joined members of the organization during the unveiling.
"We are very excited about what the 'Laredo Pantry de La Comunidad' is doing for our community," he said. "With this being their fourth pantry in the city, our residents now have an additional place to come and pick up snacks, toiletries, and other household necessities. I am so proud of what these United High School students are doing, and I hope the community joins me in celebrating their efforts."
Inside the small pantry box, marked with the words "Laredo Pantry," visitors can find nonperishable food items such as canned vegetables and rice, as well as basic necessities including toothbrushes, toothpaste, bars of soap and feminine hygiene products.
The initiative is designed to provide residents with access to everyday essentials at no cost.
"This is a pantry that will help the people here that need to have access to essentials," founder Alex Moreno previously told the city during the pantry installation at Canizales Park. "People can come and get whatever they need."
Sofia Castellanos, the organization's social media manager, said the project was created to address food insecurity and limited access to basic necessities within the community.
"When we saw this issue in Laredo that had to be solved some way or another, we decided to install pantries around parks," Castellanos said.
The nonprofit currently operates pantry locations at:
- John Valls Park, 10202 International Blvd.
- Slaughter Park, 202 N. Stone Ave.
- Canizales Park, 1903 Lafayette St.
- Divine Mercy Park, 9748 Diamond Drive.
Organizers said they hope to expand the project further by installing an additional pantry at Father McNaboe Park.
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This story was originally published June 6, 2026 at 10:52 AM.