Central Texas Food Bank receives $125,000 grant from Visa Foundation Gives Program
Today, the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) announced the receipt of a $125,000 grant from Visa Foundation to help provide immediate access to nutritious food and programming for our neighbors in need across Central Texas.
The Food Bank, which serves a 21-county area, is witnessing an alarming increase in the number of individuals and families seeking assistance, with demand levels approaching those seen at the peak of the pandemic. Charitable donations and partnerships such as this one create stability and hope for meeting our neighbors where they are.
“Food insecurity affects nearly half a million central Texans,” said Sari Vatske, President and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. “This generous grant from Visa Foundation helps us provide our neighbors with equitable access to nutritious food and enables us to expand our food assistance programs crucial to ending hunger. Partnerships like this are essential to building a community where no one goes without food. We are humbled to receive these funds in support of our mission.”
The grant spans two years and is part of the Visa Foundation Gives Program, an ongoing initiative dedicated to addressing local social issues in the communities where Visa employees live and work. Through the Visa Foundation Gives initiative, Visa employees will also have an opportunity to volunteer at the Food Bank helping prepare food donations for distribution or distributing at mobile food pantries.
"Food banks are a lifeline and help ensure people have the fundamentals they need to participate in their community,” said Graham Macmillan, President, Visa Foundation. “Visa Foundation is proud to partner with one of the leading organizations combating this pressing issue in our community. Together, we can help uplift others when they need it the most.”
Central Texas Food Bank, a lifeline for about 70,000 Central Texans weekly, aims to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry, and is currently spending about $1,000,000 each month toward this goal. In 2023, The Food Bank provided nearly 53 million meals to people in need across 21 counties which closed the meal gap by 75 percent. To learn more about the Central Texas Food Bank and to see how you can help, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.
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ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK
The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of nearly 250 nonprofit community partners and nutrition programs, serving about 70,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts. For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.
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