What Is Feeding America And How Does It Help The East Texas Food Bank
Feeding America is a nationwide hunger-relief organization, headquartered in Chicago, IL. There are over 200 food banks in the Feeding America Network, including the East Texas Food Bank. Feeding America members are responsible for distributing food to more than 38 million Americans each year, including 12 million children. Feeding America assists the East Texas Food Bank by supporting the mission through its advocacy programs, establishing and communicating common food bank operating practices, and leveraging our partnership with national companies which allows us to secure more products and funding on a local level.
Retail Store Pickup Program
The Retail Store Donation Program is a strategic initiative that enables the Southeast Texas Food Bank to increase our emergency food distribution by collecting food from participating grocers that would otherwise be thrown away. Because of strict guidelines, stores often need to discard items even though they are nutritious and completely safe to eat. These goods are then distributed to our agencies in our eight-county wide service area. The Southeast Texas Food Bank works with participating stores to procure these otherwise expensive and difficult to obtain items such as meat, dairy, produce and baked goods enabling low-income residents throughout Southeast Texas to prepare well-balanced nutritious meals for themselves and their families. The program also exemplifies green business practices by redistributing fresh products that would unnecessarily become waste. Approximately one million pounds of high quality, nutritious food that might otherwise be discarded is rescued each year and delivered to where its needed most. The Southeast Texas Food Bank follows all necessary food safety guidelines, transports product via our fleet of refrigerated trucks and inspects donated product at pick-up and distribution points.
How Many Food Banks Are In Texas
There are 21 food banks in Texas, each responsible for the counties in their designated service area. The 21 food banks are members of Feeding America and part of Feeding Texas, an organization that fosters and facilitates cooperation between the food banks through advocacy efforts and the coordination of member statewide resources such as produce and Texas Department of Agriculture commodity food.
Also Check: St. Mary’s Food Bank Drop Off Locations
How Much Of My Gift Goes To Feeding The Hungry
96% of all support we receive, including financial donations, other revenue, and donated food, help feed hungry people through childrens programs, soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and senior citizens centers. 4% of support goes toward administrative and fundraising costs, ensuring that your gift will truly help those that need it most.
Southeast Texas Food Bank: How To Volunteer
The Southeast Texas Food Bank helps the community gardens by donating seeds and volunteering. If you would like to help the Food Bank…
Before volunteering, fill out a volunteer application at their website, and then register for the event you want to participate in. Volunteer opportunities include:
- Food Sorting – Wednesday & Friday from noon to 3:00 pm
- Frozen Food Sorting – Monday mornings from 9 until noon
- Non-Food Sorting – Friday mornings from 8:30 to 11 am
- Family Box Day – 2nd Saturday of the month from 8:30 to 11 am
- School Tools – from September to May, Monday through Thursday afternoons from 2:30 to 5:15 pm and the 2nd Saturday of the month from 8:30 to 11 am
- Office Assistance and Special Events
Please confirm dates before arriving, since the schedule may change.
Don’t Miss: Where Can I Take Food To Donate
What Are The Benefits Of Being A Partner Agency With The East Texas Food Bank
Agencies that partner with the East Texas Food Bank benefit greatly. They are able to secure more food than they would be able to purchase at a retail cost. Agencies also have the ability to gain a wider variety of items for their clients than they may be able to secure on their own in their communities.
How Does The East Texas Food Bank Provide 5 Meals For $1
The ETFB has access to donated food from a variety of donors including growers, wholesalers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers and other sources. We are able to leverage the private cash donations we receive with other sources of funding, donated foods and the purchasing power of our national cooperatives and volunteer support to provide up to 5 meals for $1 donated.
Read Also: Food Banks In Fort Worth
How Does East Texas Food Bank Work
The East Texas Food Bank was founded in 1988 and is a 5013 nonprofit organization with a mission to fight hunger and feed hope in East Texas. To meet the needs of the over 118,000 households served, the East Texas Food Bank partners with agencies throughout its 26 county service area to distribute food. The East Texas Food Bank also has eight programs: BackPack Program, Kids Cafe/Afterschool Snack, Summer Food Program, Senior Box Program, Mobile Pantry, Fresh Produce Program, Nutrition Education and Benefits Outreach designed to meet the targets of children, adults and seniors. The East Texas Food Bank distributed over 27 million meals in FY2022.
Where Does The Food Come From
The East Texas Food Bank receives food from a variety of sources: area food drives, growers, packers, manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, restaurants, grocery store chains and USDA. Despite getting a large amount of products donated, approximately 20 percent of our inventory must be purchased to maintain a variety of items for our partner agencies and the specific needs of our programs.
Don’t Miss: Contra Costa Solano Food Bank
How Does The Food Bank Distribute Food
The primary method of distributing food is through our network of over 200 partner agencies and feeding programs that work in cooperation with the East Texas Food Bank. Food is either picked up at our distribution center by the partner agency, or it is delivered by 18 wheelers to agencies on our delivery routes. From there, agencies distribute the food to clients. Food is also directly distributed through our hunger programs targeted towards children, adults or seniors.
The Emergency Food Assistance Program
The Emergency Food Assistance Program distributes food purchased by the USDA, using state and local resources to make that food available to those in need. The amount of food received by each state depends on its low-income and unemployed population and state agencies work out details of administration and distribution with partner local organizations, like food banks, that either directly distribute to households or serve meals, or distribute to other local organizations that perform these functions.
You May Like: Best Foods To Donate To Food Pantry
Usda Statement Of Non
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information , should contact the Agency where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.
To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at: , and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:
Mail:Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights1400 Independence Avenue, SW
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Southeast Texas Food Bank
Southeast Texas Food Bank covers an 8-county area and partners with over 130 non-profit agencies and schools to fight against the crippling effects of chronic hunger.
Prior to COVID-19, SETX FB was one of the aforementioned food banks who had never been able to offer fluid milk. However, as part of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, the U.S. government made funds available to purchase and distribute agricultural productspackaged and distributed as Farmers to Families Food Boxesto those in need beginning in spring 2020. As a result, the program created an availability of fluid milk that had never been seen before by food banks.
Southeast Texas Food Bank began to see a positive shift in their ability to better meet the needs of the pantriesand ultimately the familiesthey service by being able to offer a highly sought-after, needed product like fluid milk. Even though the Farmers to Families Food Boxes program was temporary , SETX FB saw an opportunity to solve for some of the previous challenges involved in providing fluid milk so that they could maintain the positive impact that the availability of milk had for their network of pantries and nonprofits during the pandemic.
Heres how they kept the momentum going.
Read Also: Second Harvest Food Bank Lehigh Valley
South East Texas Food Bank
Team Members: Clifford and Rosie Wineland, Joseph, Misty, Jolie and Jaxson Wineland, Marcos Dal Ponte, Jim and Pamela Kerkvliet, Joey Pineda, Terri Finn, Theresa Allen, Cheryl Zabish, Leonardo Radicchi, Joao Dantas, Chris Henson, Shaniqua Johnson, Hubert and Nancy Morris and Andy Davis.
On a Saturday morning, at 8:30 am, when most are thinking of having a nice hot cup of coffee, the Optimus team assembles at the South East Texas Food Bank ready for action. The activity for the day includes filling 1,000 boxes for seniors to be distributed throughout our community.
The team has representatives from every level of our operation. We are especially proud that charity truly does begin at home and there are wives and children gladly making their contributions to the effort with us. Our youngest team members are 8 and 11 years old!
The activity commences with food items packed into boxes, organized management of any waste generated and mechanical movement and staging of the boxes ready for distribution. The activity is well organized, the team works hard and has fun, finishes early and without any safety incidents!
This relationship established with the Food Bank will continue. It is one of our many commitments to give back to our community.
Thanks team! Without a doubt, Optimus Steel has the best, hard-working caring individuals anywhere!
Senior Food Box Program
The USDA sponsored Commodity Supplemental Food Program is oriented towards providing free monthly boxes of food to seniors who are 60 and older and who economically qualify for the program by having an income level that is 130 percent or less of the poverty level for their household size. Pre-enrolled seniors receive a monthly box of food with a variety of senior-friendly menu items to help supplement proper nutrition for this vulnerable population.
You May Like: Food Bank In Laredo Tx
Challenges Food Banksface In Supplying Dairy
Dairy is both the most requested and the least available item in food banks.
Food banks and food pantries work together to feed those in need. The food bank is the regional warehouse that stores mass amounts of food supplied from donations, government programs, retailers, grocery stores, and restaurants. Food pantries then receive that food and serve as a local distribution center where people in need can come get food to feed themselves and their families.
At the start of 2020, many food banks had never been able to offer fluid milk as an option for the pantries they service. The following explains why:
How We Listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Hereâs how this organization is listening.
done
-
Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve residents in 8 counties in Southeast facing food insecurity.
-
How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys , Paper surveys, Focus groups or interviews ,
-
How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people’s needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
-
With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
-
Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
-
What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Recommended Reading: Central And Eastern North Carolina Food Bank