If you count on the South Plains Food Bank, here’s what to put on your calendar: it’s closed Wednesday for Veterans Day, and Christmas boxes for Lubbock County will go out on Saturday, Dec. 19, with no application needed this year.
Days the food bank is closed
The food bank shared its holiday schedule in a Nov. 9 news release published by KCBD:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day
- Thursday, Nov. 26: Thanksgiving
- Friday, Nov. 27: Day after Thanksgiving
- Thursday, Dec. 24: Christmas Eve
- Friday, Dec. 25: Christmas Day
- Friday, Jan. 1, 2027: New Year’s Day
When the food bank is closed, its online application portal is closed too, according to its Need Food page. Applications are open Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., so if you need to apply this week, aim for Tuesday or Thursday.
Christmas boxes: Dec. 19
- Lubbock County residents: Saturday, Dec. 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. No application is needed this year, but boxes are first come, first served, the release says.
- Outside Lubbock County: Christmas boxes will be handed out at the same date and time as your community’s normal monthly distribution during December.
One thing to know: the food bank’s website still shows a Christmas box application window of Nov. 3 to 5, which we noted in our holiday food help guide. The Nov. 9 release says no application is needed for Dec. 19. We’ve asked the food bank to confirm where the Dec. 19 distribution will be and whether people who applied earlier need to do anything. Comment requested; we’ll update this story when we hear back.
Picking up a voucher
Voucher pickup times, per the food bank’s site:
- Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. and 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Wednesday and Friday: 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. only (closed afternoons). Remember there’s no pickup this Wednesday.
The food bank serves 19 counties, according to its homepage. If you need help right away, call 211. To check on an application, email the address listed on the food bank’s site or text 806-642-6724. Seniors can also sign up for the Senior Box program on the Need Food page. The food bank is at 5605 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; the main line is 806-763-3003.
Want to help?
Volunteers put in more than 40,000 hours a year, the food bank says. Shifts are booked online up to a month ahead on its volunteer page, and full or holiday-closed shifts don’t show up. It’s a working warehouse, so wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes (no Crocs, flip-flops or slides), and leave headphones, phones, gum and outside food behind.
Looking for a free Thanksgiving meal or other holiday help? Our holiday food help guide covers Heart for the Holidays on Nov. 21 and more, and our Veterans Day checklist lists what else is closed Wednesday.
Sources
- KCBD, South Plains Food Bank news release, Nov. 9, 2026: https://www.kcbd.com/2026/11/09/south-plains-food-bank-announces-holiday-closures-updates/
- South Plains Food Bank: Need Food: https://www.spfb.org/need-food/
- South Plains Food Bank homepage: https://www.spfb.org/
- South Plains Food Bank: Volunteer: https://www.spfb.org/volunteer/
- Hub City UnCovered holiday food help guide: https://hubcityuncovered.com/free-thanksgiving-holiday-food-help-lubbock-2026-heart-for-the-holidays-christmas-box/
