The Hunger in America 2014 study released this week documents the vital role food banks and their partners play in supporting families that struggle to make ends meet. In a previous story we talked about the challenges Central Texans face in overcoming hunger. Today’s story comes from the other side of the hunger line: the nearly 300 Partner Agencies we work with to distribute food and services through more than 600 programs. These programs range from food pantries and soup kitchens to after-school meal programs, nutrition education programs and food stamp outreach.
With the support of Feeding America, we surveyed our agencies to learn more about what they’re experiencing on the front lines of hunger relief and to identify gaps in service and resources.
- Two-thirds of our Partner Agencies saw an increase in client demand in the past year
- Only a third of our Partner Agencies have adequate food to fulfill client needs
- 81 percent of our Partner Agencies say that without support from us, their ability to serve clients would be in jeopardy.
- One in four agencies reported that they had to cut back on services in the past year.
It’s incredible that our agencies are able to serve 46,000 clients each week. About 43 percent of our agencies operate without full-time staff. We are committed to matching our agencies’ dedication to meet the need with a variety of resources.
This past year we’ve awarded agencies expressing the will and capacity to provide more healthy, fresh foods with heavy equipment to keep it healthy and safe.
We're also piloting a program to help Partner Agencies safely rescue food from grocery stores in their community. Participating agencies tell us they can now offer a better variety and more food to their clients. Here at the Food Bank, we’re seeing less strain on our fleet and more time (and fuel) to rescue food instead of delivering food to agencies many miles away. When we can help local grocers strengthen their relationships with our Partner Agencies, everyone benefits.
