Hunger doesn’t take a summer break. Once school’s out, thousands of Central Texas children no longer have free or reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches. Additionally, the unforgiving Texas heat means higher utility bills for families and seniors. This means that parents who are already working one, two and three jobs to make ends meet and seniors on fixed incomes face even tougher budgeting choices.
During this difficult time for the nearly 440,000 food-insecure Central Texans, the Food Bank steps up to help even more. How do we do it?
We’re raising 1 Million Summer Meals
To help meet the higher demand during the summer, we’re asking our incredible community to help us raise 1 million meals during our Summer Meals That Matter Campaign. Thanks to the generosity of our matching gift sponsors, we can turn every $1 donated through August into eight meals for Central Texans facing hunger. Want to help? Double your impact on summer hunger here.
Summer Food Service Program
We partner with the Texas Department of Agriculture to make it easy and convenient for kids and families to receive free food through our Summer Food Service Program. With help from volunteers, our kitchen staff prepares 4,000 meals and snacks each day to distribute across Central Texas. Kids 18 and younger can go to their nearby recreation centers, parks, clinics, etc., to receive free, healthy breakfasts, snacks and lunches. Find a summer meal site near you here.
Expanded Mobile Food Pantry Services
In addition to the 48 Mobile Food Pantry sites we have in Central Texas, we partnered with AISD to expand our Mobile Food Pantry program to various schools just in time for the summer break. We launched four new school Mobile Pantry sites at Linder Elementary, Pecan Springs Elementary, Galindo Elementary and Gus Garcia YMLA . Find a Mobile Food pantry near you here.
Gardening and Nutrition Education Classes
Once a month we host our Produce of the Month: Garden-Inspired Cooking on a Budget class. Attendees start in our garden where they learn how to harvest and select seasonal produce. Afterwards they move into our kitchen where they prepare two quick and easy recipes using the produce from the garden. After the class, students are able to take home fresh garden produce to try the recipes at home. Sign up for a class here.
Fresh Food For Families
Fresh fruit and vegetables are an important part of a balanced diet, however they can be harder to come by especially during the summer when families are stretched to their limit. Our Fresh Food for Families program (FFFF) helps supplement groceries with much-needed fresh, nutritious produce. We have 24 FFFF sites that serve produce to low-income families once a month. Find a location near you here.
Senior Food Programs
Our Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (HOPE) and Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) are designed to meet the specific needs of our older neighbors. Participating seniors receive a healthy box of groceries each month. The contents of the boxes vary from month-to-month, but they always include healthy, shelf-stable food. Learn more about our senior programs here.
