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REBUILD TOGETHER TEXAS STRONG

HELP KEEP TEXAS FOOD BANKS STRONG

Over the past year, while our businesses thrived, food insecurity among Texans increased drastically and Food Banks Struggled to keep up.

It's our time to give back

Food banks around Texas are seeing skyrocketing demand

Central Texas Food Bank volunteers register clients for the food distribution conducted at KIPP Austin Public Schools-South Campus in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2021. The Central Texas Food Bank planned to accommodate 1,000 clients whose food insecurity has been an increasing issue due to the ongoing pandemic. Joel Pereira/Reporting Texas

Prior to COVID-19, the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin served about 237,000 people a month.

In January, the Central Texas Food Bank served more than 364,000 people and distributed 4.9 million pounds of food, according to food bank staff.

Food insecurity is a complex issue that has been a major problem in Central Texas since the start of the pandemic, said Cara Allen, a Baylor University doctoral candidate who studies the issue. The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.”

“Our food banks have been really instrumental in serving our households throughout COVID,” Allen said.

In Texas, one in four households is facing hunger, a number that has nearly doubled since the start of the pandemic, according to a report from the nonprofit organization Feeding Texas.

In the first six months of the pandemic, about 400,000 families visited food banks each week in Texas, according to the report. About half of these families were visiting for the first time, the report stated.

Clients wait as they get ready to register for the food distribution hosted by The Central Texas Food Bank at KIPP Austin Public Schools-South Campus in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2021. Joel Pereira/Reporting Texas

NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.

With school closures, job disruptions, and health risks, Texans are turning to food banks for much-needed support. They can't do it alone, and we can help.

Over the past year, food insecurity among Texans has increased 60% over the same period in 2019. 8.9M Texans (31%) are now food insecure, more than double the pre-pandemic rate.

Adding to the higher demand, food banks lost 70% of their volunteer base due to the pandemic.

It's Our Time To Give Back To Families That Were Affected And Have Been Less Fortunate, To Those Who Have Lost Their Jobs, Their Loved Ones, Their Hope...

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