Central Texas Food Bank Donations

You’re Helping Families Affected By The Pandemic

With her window cracked open midway, Maria, a mother of two boys, joined hundreds of other families waiting for one of our mass distributions to begin. She had known about the food distributions, but she never imagined she would be among the vehicles waiting in the parking lot of Del Valle High School.

Like everybody else, everything was going good until it wasnt, and Ive been unemployed, Maria said. We were both working. The kids were getting meals at school, so we were able to maintain ourselves and were not in this situation.

Both Maria and her husband had steady jobs and had never received help from the Food Bank. When the pandemic began, Maria and her husband lost their jobs. The family of four went from having two incomes to relying on their savings to get by.

With an 11 and 15-year old at home, food doesnt last long, especially when the kids are at home the whole day. Even after trying to cut their expenses by watching their food consumption, cutting their cable expense and any other unnecessary expenses, Maria realized they needed help.

At first we were like, we dont need it, lets have the people that really need it go out there and do the lines and do everything, we dont need it. But now, it just hit me last time, ok we need it now, Maria said.

At the mass distribution, Maria joined hundreds of other families that have also been affected by COVID-19.

About Central Texas Food Bank

Looking for a way to make a difference without sacrificing a competitive salary and excellent benefits? Apply to join the Central Texas Food Bank team! Were looking for highly-motivated people to bring their unique skills to our mission of nourishing our neighbors and leading our community in the fight against hunger. As the regions largest hunger relief charity, the Food Bank offers a diverse and inclusive workplace, professional development opportunities, and a culture of promoting from within. Our core values, Compassion,Honesty, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork, chart our course.

Where To Donate Food In December

We understand its not always convenient to visit our headquarters to make a food donation. Here are places where you can drop off healthy, non-perishable food donations or purchase a pre-made bag of our most desired items.

Type of donations: Pre-filled bags, $10 each.Locations: Great Hills, South Lamar and Manchaca in Austin through December 31.

Capital Metro & Whole Foods Market Stuff the BusType of donations: Healthy, non-perishable food, pre-filled bags, and donate funds at the register.Locations: bus collection sites at Whole Foods Market Downtown and at the Domain in Austin December 12 14, 10 A.M. 6 P.M. Look for food collection boxes at all other Whole Foods Market locations.

Type of donations: pre-filled bags, less than $10 each.Locations: all Randalls stores across Austin through December 31.

MedSpring Urgent Care Food DriveType of donations: healthy, non-perishable food.Locations: North Austin, South Lamar, Cedar Park, Central Austin, Round Rock, South Congress and University of Texas area through December 31.

Most requested items by our clients include:

• Canned chicken breast or tuna
• Canned low sodium vegetables
• Canned fruit in its own juice
• Dry pinto beans

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Which Foods Can Be Donated

• Pre-packaged foods that are non-perishable and fresh, whole fruits and vegetables that have not been cut may be collected for donation and distribution without a permit.

• Certain foods that require time/temperature control for safety may be donated if both the donor and recipient are food permitted facilities and the food has been properly handled at an appropriate temperature. See Food Donation Guidelines for more details and information on which foods are not suitable for donation.

What To Expect When Visiting A Food Pantry Food Distribution Or Mobile Food Pantry

When you arrive, the agency representative will ask you to fill out a basic form to show that you live in the area and ask that you declare that you need help with food.

Consider bringing a food cart or several reusable bags to take your food to your final destination. Assistance may be limited. Be sure to ask how often you may visit or use services.

Many of our partners provide additional support services such as help paying for bills, job training, health services and help with transportation. You may be required to provide additional information to the agency to receive help.

Is the weather bad? Is it a holiday? Call our hotline to see if any of our food distributions are canceled: .

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Who Will Take Food Donations

• Food pantries: Use findhelp.org to find a food pantry near you that accepts donations. Call ahead to make sure that the pantry can accept your donation and coordinate how and when it should be delivered or picked up.

• Food banks: Contact Central Texas Food Bank to schedule a donation.

• Food rescue programs like Keep Austin Fed may be able to help with donation logistics.

Where Our Food Came From

Food Rescue

39 percent of our food was rescued from farms, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. The Food Bank and its partners rescued more than 27.5 million pounds of food last year. More than 7.6 million pounds of that was fresh fruits and vegetables, giving us the opportunity to provide our clients more nutritious meal options.

Purchase

23 percent of our food was purchased with your generous donations. Our staff is dedicated to finding the most efficient ways to turn dollars into food, giving us the ability to turn every $1 donated into $8 worth of food the equivalent of four meals.

Community Events

& Food Drives

Community events and food drives raised 1,173,058 pounds of food that was sorted by volunteers before our partners put it into the hands of Central Texans in need. That accounted for 2 percent of our food.

USDA and Our Network

24 percent of our food came from the United States Department of Agriculture, and 11 percent came from Feeding Texas, Feeding America or other food banks.

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Central Texas Food Bank Says Thanksgiving Food Needs Up Despite Ongoing Supply Chain Issues

AUSTIN As Thanksgiving nears, the Central Texas Food Bank is seeing an increased need for support going into the holiday season despite ongoing food supply chain issues, they said.

The food banks current demands rival pandemic-level needs for support, said Sari Vatske, the president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. The organization usually distributes 12,000-14,000 turkeys, but they expect to give out over 16,000 turkeys this year.

Weve already seen increased numbers because of inflation, so the holiday time iscompounding the issue, Vatske said.

At the same time, the Central Texas Food Bank said about 30% of their shipments were canceled by the United States Department of Agriculture due to nationwide supply chain challenges.

To combat the shortfall, the food bank is purchasing additional food, finding unique ways to work with food donors and relying more on community support.

The food bank has lower-than-usual levels of food including canned goods, but Vatske said they will still supply turkeys and other foods to families in need this holiday season.

The Central Texas Food Bank serves over 20 counties including Travis, Williamson, Hays, Burnet Bell, Bastrop, Blanco, Milam, Gillespie, Caldwell and Lampasas counties.

Ready To Host A Food Drive

For individuals collecting fewer than 1,000 lbs of goods we encourage you to raise meals online by hosting a Virtual Food Drive using our free tools. Hosting a virtual food drive is the best way to raise meals for the Central Texas Food Bank. Instead of collecting cans and boxes of food, virtual food drives collect funds. The dollars you raise then go directly to helping feed our neighbors.

Your Virtual Food Drive will raise more meals for Central Texans in need than a traditional food drive. Every dollar you raise can create 4 meals!

Not interested in maximizing the meals you create through a Virtual Food Drive? We appreciate all donations and ask that if collecting food you consider donating the items on our most needed items list. For additional information on how to successfully collect food donations, including how to obtain branded collection boxes, check out the FAQ below.

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Your Right To Receive Food

When you get food from a Food Bank partner, you are entitled to these basic rights:

• to receive food and/or meals at no cost
• to NOT be required to participate in a religious event, or pay dues as a condition of receiving food
• to NOT be refused service or discriminated against based on your race, color, age, religion, national origin, disability, gender, sexual orientation or political affiliation
• to be treated with respect and dignity at all times
• to NOT be required to show proof of income, identification, citizenship, driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate, or any other documentation

If you feel your rights have been violated, please contact us at .

Matching Employee Gifts And/or Volunteer Time

Double and even triple your impact while showing your employees that you are committed to their values and our community. Or help intensify the impact of your employee’s volunteer time by matching their time and effort with a donation. Search our database to learn if your employer matches your donations and/or volunteer hours.

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Give The Gift Of Dairy

Were parterning with Vollemans Dairy this year for a special event! Learn how you can help the Food Bank Of West Central Texas give the gift of dairy this holiday season. Your gift will help Food Bank of West Central Texas provide milk, a nutrient-rich product, to our neighbors facing hunger in west Texas.

At a time when health and hope matter more than anything, youve opened your caring heart to those in need. With every selfless gift. With every meal a hungry child, senior, or family receives just in time.

We want to say Thank you, for letting people know you care and letting them know they truly matter.

Central Texas Food Bank Requests Donations As Need Increases

Central Texas Food Bank requests donations as need increases

The Central Texas Food Bank is on pace to spend ten times more than it did before the pandemic this month. It says the need to feed more people, along with inflation and supply chain issues, is to blame. FOX 7 Austin’s Kelly Saberi has details.

AUSTIN, Texas – The Central Texas Food Bank is on pace to spend ten times more than it did before the pandemic this month. It says the need to feed more people, along with inflation and supply chain issues, is to blame.

According to Mark Jackson with the Central Texas Food Bank, they saw a greater need to feed people during the pandemic. While that number is starting to subside, there are more people in need in the area than ever and the food bank is ultimately putting together 11 million more meals than usual this year.

Jackson said their projections show they fall 20% of their need. In an average year, the food bank budgets about $100,000 on top of donations. Now it plans to spend $1,000,000 to supplement donations. The food bank says it needs to acquire specific types of food for its distribution and that’s why monetary donations are preferred. Plus, the food bank can get the food at a heavily discounted rate.

Central Texas Food Bank expects to serve close to 400K this November

Since 2019, the Central Texas Food Bank has seen a 26% spike in the need for their services, with one in seven now experiencing hunger every day.

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Already Have Food To Donate

Whether youve collected food as a group, are clearing out your kitchen pantry or your garden is growing too quickly, we are here to help you donate your food to those in need as quickly and easily as possible!

Check out answers to frequently asked questions below.

The Food Bank considers donations under 1,000 pounds as individual donations and kindly ask that you deliver them directly to the Food Bank or one of our many partners with food pantries. To find a pantry near you, Some food pantries are only open on certain days and would prefer to set a time with you for your drop-off. To ensure successful delivery please call the pantry before delivering your donation.

We consider 1,000 pounds to be more than what can fit into two standard-sized pick-up trucks. If using our Food Bank branded boxes, 1,000 pounds is roughly 10 of these boxes.

Because our clients’ well-being is our first priority, we can only give out food that is safe and healthy. To ensure your gift goes to a family in need here are some of our most needed items:

• healthy, non-perishable food our most requested items include:
• canned chicken breast or tuna
• canned low sodium vegetables
• canned fruit in its own juice
• dry pinto beans
• items with intact, un-opened, consumer or commercial packaging
• items with non-breakable packaging
• Food that is still good to eat To read our guidelines

• Opened packages
• At this time CTFB and our agencies can no longer accept PPE supplies

Food Bank Rgv Calls To Community For Donations

PHARR, Texas Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley is asking for the communitys help in supporting families and people in need this holiday season.

The Food Bank RGV reports that its warehouse shelves are becoming bare.

As the need for food assistance continues to grow, we are seeing a strain on our resources, Libby A. Saenz, CEO of the Food Bank RGV said. Monetary donations are crucial in helping us purchase the food needed to fill our shelves, as well as covering rising transportation costs.

The non-profit organization says that every dollar helps provide up to five complete meals for a person in need.

Monetary donations can be submitted on the Food Bank RGV website.

Donations of canned food can be dropped off at the food bank, located on 724 N. Cage Blvd. in Pharr.

Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Hunger By The Numbers

The Central Texas Food Bank does more than just provide food for families in need through nearly 300 community partners. It also educates about healthy eating and assists families in applying for federal assistance programs.

The food bank serves more than 60,000 people every week throughout 21 counties in Central Texas. And, because of its partners and the scale at which it operates, its able to stretch donations into more food than one person can buy at the store for the same amount. Thats how its able to take even $1 and turn it into four meals.

According to the Central Texas Food Bank:

• 1 in 4-5 children in Central Texas are at risk of hunger
• 1 in 7 people in Central Texas are at risk of hunger
• 93% of food bank clients are not homeless
• 64% of households it serves have at least one working adult

Copyright 2022 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Friendsgiving Challenge 202: Donate To Team David Or Kristen To Help Central Texas Food Bank

David Yeomans and Kristen Currie have challenged each other to see who can raise the most money for the Central Texas Food Bank

KXANs Friendsgiving Challenge: Back for year two! For three weeks in November leading up to Thanksgiving, your favorite morning and evening meteorologists compete to see who can raise more money for the Central Texas Food Bank. Will 2022 be a repeat of 2021 with Team Kristen winning again? Or is it Team Davids turn to win?

AUSTIN The race to raise the most money for The Central Texas Food Bank is back on for 2022. Join KXAN meteorologists David Yeomans and Kristen Currie as they go head-to-head for three weeks in November all for a great cause.

And you can play a part! Pick a team donate what you can and watch the live, interactive graph on KXAN.com reflect the results of your generosity!

The competition begins Nov. 1 and ends the day before Thanksgiving, and no matter which KXAN meteorologist raises the most money overall, our Central Texas community is the real winner.

Cant see the donate buttons? and here to donate for Team David.

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Why Donate Food

• Help end hunger: One in six people in Central Texas struggle to have enough food to eat, and almost 25% of children in Travis County lack consistent access to food.

• Conserve valuable resources: Wasted food represents 4% of U.S. oil consumption and requires 25% of our fresh water supply to grow.

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Uneaten food in landfills accounts for 23% of the nations output of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

• Save money: Businesses can receive tax incentives for food donations while simultaneously lowering their disposal costs. And for businesses in Austin, food donation counts towards compliance with the Universal Recycling Ordinance.

How You Helped

Partner Agencies

Disaster Response

We work with Feeding America, the American Red Cross, federal and state agencies and other partners to provide direct food and water assistance and transportation of emergency supplies.

In addition to meeting increased demand through Partner Agencies and programs, we conducted several special disaster distributions that together provided over 743,000 pounds of food.

For example, in partnership with Capital Metro, the Help at Home Kits program provided more than 2,000 households in Travis County with over 283,000 pounds of food delivered directly to their door.

Eat Apart Together, another special partnership with the City of Austin and other area organizations, provided more than 193,000 pounds of food to people experiencing homelessness across the city.

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