Central Texas Food Bank

The Central Texas Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas.

Our Impact
The Central Texas Food Bank is at the front line of hunger relief with the help of roughly 250 Partner Agencies in 21 counties across Central Texas.

When the Central Texas Food Bank was established in 1982, it was with a goal in mind to help the hungry in the community. Over the years, the weak economy has increased challenges for clients who have turned to food pantries for food assistance.

The Central Texas Food Bank has been at the front line of hunger relief with the help of Partner Agencies in 21 counties across Central Texas. Together, we provided more than 38 million pounds of food to families in need during the 2015-2016 fiscal year, the largest amount distributed since the organization’s establishment in 1982, when only 330,000 pounds of food was provided.

Through generous donors, volunteers and participating organizations, together we are serving 46,000 people in need each week.

We employ the most efficient, streamlined model possible to fight hunger in Central Texas.

When the Central Texas Food Bank was established in 1982, it was with a goal in mind to help the hungry in the community. Over the years, the weak economy has increased challenges for clients who have turned to food pantries for food assistance.

The Central Texas Food Bank has been at the front line of hunger relief with the help of Partner Agencies in 21 counties across Central Texas. Last year we provided more than nearly 54 million meals on the tables of our neighbors facing hunger—up from 42.5 million meals the previous year.

Hunger Around Us
Central Texas is among the fastest growing regions in the nation. But for many of our neighbors, that growth comes at a high cost.

Thanks to a thriving business sector and unparalleled economic development, Central Texas is among the fastest growing regions in the nation. But amid this growth and prosperity, many of our neighbors are being left behind.

The rising cost of housing, utilities, transportation and healthcare leaves many of our neighbors to make impossible choices and painful sacrifices. Two-thirds of the people we serve say they had to choose between buying food and paying for housing in the past year. Eighty percent say they had to choose between food and medicine.

Hunger affects people from all walks of life. Working families, retired seniors on fixed incomes, grandparents with custody of grandchildren, the chronically ill and the disabled all turn to the Food Bank for help in emergencies or as part of their regular meal planning. As we work together to ensure all these people get the nutritious food they need, we’re counting on you to help educate the community and dispel myths about hunger around us. Please share your knowledge with others.

Our Solutions
We fight hunger the Central Texas way. Our programs and services are uniquely designed to serve our neighbors in the ways they need most.

Community Kitchen
Our 4,200-square foot kitchen gives us the ability to offer scratch on-site meal preparation for multiple programs, culinary job training, and volunteer opportunities for individuals and organizations.

Our Culinary Education Training Program uses an integrated, full-circle approach to meal preparation and job training to improve employment options and reduce problems that lead to hunger. Last year the Food Bank taught 2 Culinary Education Training Program series. Following graduation, 75% of students found a job.

Garden
The Food Bank garden pairs food production for hunger relief with educational programming. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes transitioned from in-person to a virtual format.

Last year we conducted 78 gardening classes reaching 86 individuals who are now able to supplement their diet by growing their own nutritious food. We also distributed more than 16,000 pounds of organic produce grown in our garden to our at-risk neighbors.

Advocacy
Focusing on specific public policy priorities, we inform decision makers at every level of government about hunger in their community and their role in ending hunger.

Fresh Food For Families
Fresh Food For Families provides free monthly distributions of fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods to low-income families. These distributions supplement existing grocery budgets with much-needed nutritious foods.

Last year, the Fresh Food for Families program provided more than 900,000 pounds of fresh produce to an average of 6,877 individuals each month across 18 partner sites.

Healthy Options Program for the Elderly and Commodity Supplemental Food Program
The mission of the Healthy Options for the Elderly (HOPE) is to reduce hunger among low-income seniors age 55 or older by providing them with free monthly distributions of healthy, shelf-stable foods. Each month, HOPE clients receive a 15- to 20-pound bag of non-perishable groceries as nutritious additions to their existing diets. Items include canned fruits and vegetables, canned protein, cereal and pasta.

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provides each participating low-income senior age 60 or older with a free monthly box groceries. Every box includes 25-30 pounds of staples including cereals, juices, proteins, milk, grain, cheese, and canned fruits and vegetables.

Last year, the HOPE and CSFP programs distributed more than 1.65 million pounds of food at 85 sites to an average of 5,584 seniors each month.

Kids Cafe®
Kids Cafe serves as a direct partnership between the Food Bank and existing after-school programs to provide nutritious meals to low-income children who may not otherwise have access to healthy and balanced nutrition outside of school.

Kids Cafes are safe, nurturing places where neighborhood children can go after school to receive a free meal and participate in programs such as homework assistance, physical activities and more.

An official program of Feeding America, Kids Cafe® provided more than 83,000 nutritious after-school meals to children at 49 sites across Central Texas.

Summer Food Service Program
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides nutritious lunches and snacks to children of low-income families who lack a dependable source of nutritious meals during summer breaks.

Last year, In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SFSP transitioned to distributing weekly meal packs. Last summer we provided nearly 83,000 summer meals to children at 12 sites.

BackPack
BackPack is designed to meet weekend meal needs for children in low-income families. At the end of each week, participating children receive bags of healthy, nutritious, non-perishable meals that they take home with them and eat during the weekend. Each BackPack contains approximately four meals.

Last year the Food Bank provided more than 21,000 weekend BackPacks to children at 78 sites during the school year.

Mobile Food Pantry
By taking the food directly to clients, our mobile food pantries fill geographic and service gaps in emergency food assistance by providing Central Texans in need with basic staples, fruits and vegetables, and frozen foods where local food assistance services cannot keep up with demand.

Mobile Pantry provided more than 9.5 million pounds of staple foods, fresh produce and meats to an average of 11,470 households per month.

CHOICES Nutrition Education
CHOICES is a nutrition education program that helps individuals and families make smart choices at mealtime. The classes help people eligible for SNAP (food stamps) make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose active lifestyles. All classes are free and open to qualified individuals.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes transitioned from in-person to a virtual format. In 2021, the CHOICES program conducted more than 190 nutrition education classes and cooking demonstrations, reaching more than 555 individuals.

Disaster Relief
When the unthinkable happens, the Food Bank is prepared to respond. We work with Feeding America, the American Red Cross, federal and state agencies and other partners to provide direct food and water assistance, transportation of emergency supplies to affected areas and more.

In addition to meeting increased demand through Partner Agencies and programs, we piloted two home delivery programs, one in partnership with Amazon and the Austin Neighborhood Services, one in partnership with Capital Metro and H-E-B. Combined these programs delivered more than 200,000 pounds of food to more than 1,300 households.

Regional Food Delivery
Our regional food delivery program delivers fresh and packaged foods to centrally-located drop sites in outlying areas that are easily accessible for more remote Partner Agencies serving rural populations.

Regional food delivery allows Partner Agencies to focus more of their time and resources on the populations they serve, allowing them to provide a larger variety of nutritious food. All food that is distributed to agencies outside Travis County, excluding Food Bank direct distribution, is delivered through regional food delivery.

Regional food delivery operates five days a week, delivering items to roughly 250 Food Bank Partner Agencies in our 21 county service area.

Food Rescue
The Food Bank collects millions of pounds of wholesome, nutritious food—food that would otherwise be discarded—from local and national grocery store chains, manufacturers, distributors and farms and distributes it to low-income families.

45 percent of our food was rescued from farms, retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. The Food Bank and its partners rescued more than 27.9 million pounds of food last year.

Agency Retail Pickup
Agency retail pickup is one of the many ways we’re working to reduce food waste and ensure the families we serve have access to the fresh, healthy foods they need to thrive. This initiative saves time and resources by empowering Partner Agencies to pick up food donations directly from retailers near them.

Capacity Building
In addition to providing affordable food and services, we work closely with the dedicated folks who run the roughly 260 Partner Agencies we work with, to help them maximize their impact in the community.

We bring more than three decades of experience and hunger-fighting expertise and offer capacity building grants, funding advancements like additional cold storage space to help agencies provide more fresh, healthy food to their neighbors in need.

Social Services and Education
The Social Services team provides one-on-one application assistance to individuals who may qualify for federal nutrition programs and other benefits that will help stabilize their lives.

Last year, the Social Services team submitted more than 1,500 SNAP (food stamps) applications, resulting in more than 1.3 million meals provided to individuals.

Home Delivery Program
The Central Texas Food Bank, in partnership with the Austin Public Health Neighborhood Services Unit and Amazon, is launching a home delivery program. Participants enrolled in the program will receive a monthly box of shelf-stable groceries, delivered in a contactless method directly to their homes. All groceries and delivery are free of charge.

Putting Good Food Within Reach
We work with food donors across the country, financial supporters and volunteers to fill unmet needs in Central Texas. This commitment from private, government and charitable partners has allowed us to bring nearly 54 million meals to our community last year and into the hands of families and local nonprofits that turn to us for help. There are three key ways we do this.

1. We share free food and our knowledge on low-cost, healthy eating with families in need. Learn how we stock their shelves, provide healthy meals and educate.

2. We assist families who qualify for federal assistance programs. Learn how we connect families to life-enhancing resources.

3. And finally, we make food affordable for charitable and government partners. The quality food and food resources we provide means that they can spend their limited resources to enhance their programs. Learn how we strengthen community services.

We are a registered 501(c)(3), which means that we are not a religious, political or advocacy organization.

We believe there’s strength in numbers and in working together. We are members of Feeding America and Feeding Texas (formerly the Texas Food Bank Network). Our service territory includes: Bastrop, Bell, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Coryell, Falls, Fayette, Freestone, Gillespie, Hays, Lampasas, Lee, Limestone, Llano, McLennan, Milam, Mills, San Saba, Travis and Williamson counties. Roughly 300 Partner Agencies have joined us to serve families in 21 Central Texas counties at soup kitchens, food pantries, after-school programs, snack programs and other service sites.

A leader in the fight against hunger for more than 40 years, our mission is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Click here to see our company values.

Donate
We’re working to eliminate barriers to healthy food so that there’s always a compassionate solution when anyone in our community is facing hunger.

LEARN MORE – https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved/donate

Volunteer
Volunteers are the heart and soul of the Food Bank. They bring our mission to life. Sign up today and discover what good seeds you can sow for all Central Texans.

LEARN MORE – https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved/volunteer

Become a Fundraiser
You can raise meals to help our neighbors in need! We make it easy for you to get started and provide tools to help you set and achieve your goal.

LEARN MORE – https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved/become-fundraiser

Donate Food
Nourishing our communities starts with nourishing their bodies. Nearly 50% of the food we distribute comes from the generous donations of retailers, wholesalers, farmers, and the food industry.

LEARN MORE – https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/donate-food

Corporate Giving
Helping us serve your community can help your business. Together we can engage your employees, support your philanthropic goals and make Central Texas an even better place to live, work and play.

LEARN MORE – https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved/corporate-giving

MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED – https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved

We’re Here To Help
The Central Texas Food Bank is open Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

CONTACT CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK:

(512) 282-2111
6500 Metropolis Drive
Austin, TX 78744