Austin, TX, March 20, 2019 –The Central Texas Food Bank today announced a $33,767 grant from the Caterpillar Foundation to provide fresh produce to those facing hunger in McLennan County. A member of the Feeding America network, the Central Texas Food Bank is one of 30 food banks nationwide to receive this grant, which helps support local hunger relief efforts.
"People who face hunger do not have regular access to enough food for a healthy, active life. The Central Texas Food Bank is thankful to the Caterpillar Foundation for its commitment to helping to support families in need in our communities,” said Derrick Chubbs, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank.
Each year, 42 million people in the United States struggle with food insecurity, including nearly 46,000 McLennan County residents – more than 14,500 of them kids 18 and younger. The Central Texas Food Bank has served McLennan County since the early 1990s and provides food and nutrition education through its 30 Partner Agencies and programs there. In the past year, the Food Bank has distributed more than 8.4 million pounds of food in McLennan County.
The Caterpillar Foundation grant will be used to help provide fresh produce to McLennan County residents through the Food Bank’s produce hub located at Caritas of Waco. The produce hub is a used 40-foot-long shipping container that was purchased by the Central Texas Food Bank and retrofitted with insulation and a refrigeration unit to serve as a cold storage space for fresh produce. It provides easy access for local food pantries and soup kitchens that come to stock up on incremental quantities of fresh produce for the people they serve.
“The Caterpillar Foundation supports programs that alleviate poverty in communities in which we live and work. We are proud to partner with the Central Texas Food Bank to support individuals in McLennan County who may not know where their next meal will come from,” said Kathryn Karol, Caterpillar vice president and chairman of the Caterpillar Foundation Board of Directors. “When people’s basic human needs are met, they are able to more effectively pursue economic and educational opportunities. And when they can do so, an entire community can benefit.”
Since 2015, Caterpillar Foundation has provided $3.9 million in county-level grants to Feeding America food banks. Caterpillar Foundation’s grants also helped food banks provide 10.5 million pounds of food in counties where Caterpillar employees live and work. This donation will help provide 135,068 meals to local children and families in need.
# # #
ABOUT THE CATERPILLAR FOUNDATION
Founded in 1952, Caterpillar's philanthropic organization, the Caterpillar Foundation, has contributed more than $740 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by providing program support in the areas of basic needs, education and environmental sustainability. To learn more about the global impact of the Caterpillar Foundation, visit http://www.togetherstronger.com. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
