Food banks across the country are constantly working to innovate and improve their services, and without them, the Feeding America network could never provide for those in need. Each month, we’ll be turning the spotlight onto an individual food bank that is working hard to become even more efficient and effective.
This month, we are featuring the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.
With the holidays just around the corner, millions of Americans will have to forgo heartier meals than those they could afford in winters past. The USDA released their annual Household Food Security in the United States survey, stating that 49 million Americans are struggling with hunger – a 36 percent increase from last year’s study. In Texas alone, more than 16 percent of the state’s households are food insecure.
Meanwhile, billions of pounds of edible food goes straight into the landfill each year. That’s why Austin’s Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) started the Central Texas Food Rescue program19 years ago. The success of the Food Rescue program has put CAFB on pace to distribute more than 20 million pounds of food through December 31, 2009, serving nearly 5.5 million more meals to hungry Central Texans than they did last year.
Six days a week, half a dozen CAFB refrigerated trucks are dispatched to pick-up wholesome, table-ready perishable products at Central Texas retail grocery locations. After gaining two new trucks in September 2008, the Food Rescue program now provides regularly scheduled pick-ups to 100 sites, delivering meats, dairy, produce, packaged foods and baked goods throughout a service region twice the size of Massachusetts.
The Food Rescue program allows partner agencies to provide clients with a wide range of consistent, diverse and fresh foods. Shirley, a diabetic, says her body needs the fruits and vegetables she gets from the food pantry. “I can’t afford to buy these foods,” Shirley says. “But with the vegetables and meat I get here, I can make a big pot of soup, then freeze it and eat it later.”
The Food Rescue program provides cost-effective sources of high-quality proteins and nutrients that satiate hungry people throughout Central Texas. “There’s lots of ways to do this without wasting food,” Shirley says about stretching her supply of food as far as possible. Access to the nourishing food provided by the Food Rescue program will be a big help to people just like Shirley this holiday season.
Learn more about Capital Area Food Bank’s Food Rescue program.