Feedback - Fall 2017

News from the Central Texas Food Bank

What’s INSIDE

You’re Helping Richard After a Tragic Accident Diabetes Health Education Pilot Program Keeps Families Informed

Why We Care About the Farm Bill Save the Date for KidsGiving

Fall 2017

locations in Coryell, Milam, Travis, Hays and Williamson Counties. Each of the sites will help low-income families with a food insecurity rate of 20 percent or higher, many of which have limited access to vehicles and live more than 20 miles away from a grocery store in a rural setting or more than one mile away in an urban setting.

You’re Helping Richard After a Tragic Accident Richard was in Amarillo, Texas, after his parents had passed away. He decided to stop at a corner store. It was a simple decision that would completely change his life.

An individual he had never met confused Richard for someone else and opened fire on him, shooting six bullets into his back. Richard’s life would never be the same.

Richard, 40, can’t feel anything from the knees down and suffers chronic back pain. He doesn’t take any pain medication because he doesn’t want to get addicted to medication and he wouldn’t be able to afford it anyway.

On a scale of one to 10, the pain he feels is usually a seven, he said. Though he’s learned to live with the pain, when it’s unbearable all he can do is lay down to help stabilize his back.

The unfortunate incident left him with more than a physical ailment. He now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, high anxiety and depression.

Richard went from earning about $1,200 a week working at a foundry company where he fabricated steel and iron, to having no income.

Now he is unable to work, even part time, due to his condition.

“With my situation, I’m so limited. I’ve tried

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to work part-time. If mental issues didn’t hinder me, something physically did. It’s a battle,” Richard said.

Right now, Richard relies on the generosity of the community to help him get by, including Food Bank Partner Agencies that offer wraparound services. With help from Caritas of Austin, he has been able to secure housing and get help with utilities. At St. Ignatius Food Pantry, he receives a voucher that helps him cover his insurance copay.

“I’m not used to any of this. It’s all new to me,” Richard said. “I’ve always been independent, but now I’ve learned that with all these ailments that I’ve got, that I had to reach out to a helping hand.”

Once a month he visits the Food Bank’s Partner Agency, Bread for All Food Pantry,

to help supplement the SNAP benefits he receives, but it’s not enough.

Since he is unable to work, he donates plasma, earning $15 to $20 a week. It’s not much, but the money he makes helps pay for his toiletries, personal hygiene items and food.

After learning from his neighbors about a new food distribution that was available, he made his way to the new Mobile Food Pantry site at Bread for All. The site is one of eight new Mobile Food Pantry locations that began in June after the Food Bank acquired a new 18-wheeler.

With the new truck, the Food Bank has also been able to implement four new producespecific distributions using our Mobile Food Pantry model.

The truck will serve individuals in various

I’ve always been independent, but now I’ve learned that with all these ailments that I’ve got, that I had to reach out to a helping hand.

It helps us maintain our lifestyle as far as being able to eat and have food for the next coming day. It’s a blessing. Thank you so much.

The site is just around the corner from where Richard lives and is a short walk away. Unsure of what to expect, Richard arrived an hour before the distribution was set to begin.

At the distribution he received canned beans, shelf stable milk, pasta, honeydew melons, fresh produce and much more. He loves cooking Mexican food and with the food he received, he’ll be making soup.

“I think it’s great. With the prices of food,

it helps me out with my budget, so I can actually have food in my apartment and can have food to eat,” he said.

Since the new distributions began, the Food Bank has served an additional 2,463 individuals and distributed more than 44,000 pounds of healthy food to highneed areas.

The extra available food will help Richard save money on groceries, so that he can use what money he earns through plasma donations on his personal expenses, even perhaps a new pair of shoes or a bus ticket to the Panhandle to see his family. It has been two years since the last time he saw them. Despite his situation, he prefers not to concern them with his difficulties.

His son is in the military and is stationed in Hawaii. In a couple of months all of his children will be in Amarillo. He looks forward to the day he can see his three children and his grandchildren. With their help, he hopes to travel there to spend time with them.

Though his life has unexpectedly turned upside down, he is grateful for all the help he has received, from housing to food, and keeps a smile on his face.

“I’m so grateful. It’s a blessing. Without this help, I wouldn’t have any help,” Richard said. “Thank you for all the help from everyone, whoever it came from. A lot or a little, it doesn’t matter how much you give... It helps us maintain our lifestyle as far as being able to eat and have food for the next coming day. It’s a blessing. Thank you so much.”

Why We Care About the Farm Bill

By Kathy Green, Senior Director of Advocacy and Public Policy

Every five years, Congress takes up the Farm Bill. Although the next Farm Bill is up for a vote in 2018, hearings have already begun on the critical programs this legislation authorizes and funds. For many decades hunger advocates have worked alongside the agricultural community to ensure that both the agriculture and nutrition titles of the bill are addressed, supporting supply and need. Despite its name, nearly 80 percent of spending in this bill ($390 billion in 2014) concerns federal nutrition programs.

For hunger advocates, the Farm Bill is an opportunity to protect and improve these programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the food stamp program), the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP).

SNAP provides benefits to low-income households to purchase food at retailers. Benefits are loaded on an EBT card monthly, and are intended to supplement a household’s grocery budget. Many food bank clients qualify for SNAP. Therefore, the Central Texas Food Bank actively assists clients in enrolling in the program.

TEFAP provides food to food banks, including canned and fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh and dried eggs, meat, poultry, fish, milk and cheese, pasta products and cereal. At our Food Bank, TEFAP comprises almost 30 percent of our inventory.

CSFP provides food packages to low-income seniors, including nonfat dry and ultra hightemperature fluid milk, juice, farina, oats, readyto-eat cereal, rice, pasta, peanut butter, dry beans, canned meat, poultry, or fish, and canned fruits and vegetables. CSFP is a new program to the Food Bank, but an important one, with an ever-growing senior population in Central Texas.

Without the public-private partnership between these federal programs and the network of food banks, many more Americans would face hunger. In fact, anti-hunger organization Bread for the World estimates that food banks and private charities provide only one out of every 20 bags of groceries that feed people who are hungry, while the federal government provides the rest. In the next year, it will be important to advocate for a strong Farm Bill that ensures these nutrition programs continue to be available for those who need them the most.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

THANK YOU FOR HELPING FIGHT HUNGER!

Hunger Action Day September 14, 2017 Central Texas Food Bank 6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 Join us for a day of volunteering on Hunger Action Day, sponsored by Whataburger.

Sort food in our warehouse, prepare meals in our kitchen, or plant vegetables in our garden. Volunteers will also be treated to lunch, provided by Whataburger. Sign up to volunteer today at www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/volunteer.

1,7. 21 County Fair The Food Bank hosted its inaugural signature event by turning the warehouse into a county fair! Guests enjoyed games, live entertainment, small bites from local restaurants, and craft beer and cocktails. The fun evening provided nearly 40,000 meals.

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3,12. Keep Austin Weird Festival & 5K This annual festival celebrated all things weird with sideshow attractions, a costume contest, live local music and the “slowest 5k on the planet.” The event raised 20,000 meals for hungry Central Texans.

Soul Food Truck Fest September 30, 2017 Freedom Plaza at the Carver Museum 1165 Angelina St, Austin, TX 78702 Austin’s inaugural Soul Food Truck Fest will host 10 different food trucks serving up delicious soul food. Attendees can also enjoy family-friendly games and entertainment.

One dollar from every ticket sold will be donated to the Food Bank.

Austin Empty Bowl Project November 19, 2017 Central Texas Food Bank 6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 This annual event allows attendees to choose from an array of hand painted bowls and enjoy delicious soup from local restaurants for just $20. Proceeds from the event benefit the Central Texas Food Bank and Meals on Wheels Central Texas.

Volunteer in Our Garden Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays Central Texas Food Bank 6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 The Food Bank’s Garden serves as a replicable model of sustainable growing practices and teaches clients the importance of healthy eating and physical activity.

Assist our gardener by planting seeds and seedlings, pulling weeds, shoveling compost, harvesting produce and cultivating the garden beds! Shifts are available at various times each week, weather permitting, and can accommodate 5-20 volunteers. For more information and to sign up, visit: www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/volunteer.

2. Pinthouse Pizza Charity Brew Pinthouse Pizza on South Lamar hosted a Charity Brew event to fight hunger. The Food Bank received proceeds from a special Pinthouse brew and a portion of sales that day, raising more than $3,000.

4. Stamp Out Hunger This national campaign by the National Association of Letter Carriers and local USPS employees raised more than 26,000 pounds of food to fight hunger in Central Texas

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5. CBS Austin Food for Families with Randalls CBS Austin teamed up with Randalls for their annual Food for Families Food Drive. Randalls customers purchased pre-packaged bags of food and donated at checkout, creating more than 92,000 meals for families struggling with hunger.

6. Music Under the Star The Bob Bullock Museum hosted their annual Music Under the Star free concert series on Friday evenings in July. In partnership with Tito’s Vodka, donations provided more than 1,066 meals.

8,13. Jacoby’s Burgers & Grizzelda’s Tacos Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile hosted their annual Burger for Burger campaign and added a Taco for Taco campaign at sister restaurant Grizzelda’s, providing vital protein for those in need.

9. Kelvin Beachum, Jr., Ambassador-at-Large NFL player Kelvin Beachum, Jr. was named the Food Bank’s Ambassador-at-Large and pledged $50,000 to fight hunger in his hometown of Mexia, TX.

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10. Sour Duck Market Bake Sale Odd Duck and Barley Swine hosted the Sour Duck Market Bake Sale, where guests were able to preview items from the new Sour Duck Market restaurant while helping raise funds for summer meals.

11, 16. Salt Lick Year of Giving Campaign The Salt Lick donated five percent of Family Style meal sales during August to the Food Bank as part of their 50th Anniversary Year of Giving.

14. Omni – Say Goodnight to Hunger For the past year, Omni Hotels employees have been fighting hunger nationwide with the “Say Goodnight to Hunger” campaign. Employees in Austin donated more than 460 volunteer hours.

15. Ryan Companies Ryan Companies not only sponsored Summer Meals That Matter, they packaged the summer meals themselves when they volunteered in our community kitchen.

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Diabetes Health Education Pilot Program Keeps Families Informed Reviewing the amounts of carbohydrates in meals, checking the soles of your feet and learning different exercises are just a few things individuals learn when they attend a Diabetes Box Program class.

Thanks to a generous $50,000 grant from Baylor Scott and White, the Food Bank has launched the Diabetes Box Program, a oneyear pilot program that pairs diabetes health education with direct nutritional support for low-income and food insecure people diagnosed with diabetes.

The program is currently available at three Food Bank Partner Agencies: Caritas of Waco, Churches Touching Lives for Christ (CTLC) in Temple and First Baptist Marble Falls Food Pantry.

Food Bank staff screened 337 individuals onsite for high glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, a measure of diabetes control over three months, using specialized testing equipment and measured their blood pressure. They enrolled 240 people who are 18 years or older, are diagnosed with diabetes and who are lowincome and food insecure.

Once the class series ends, participants will have their glycated hemoglobin levels tested again with the goal of having lower levels.

Attendees learn how to manage their diabetes during the six group class series taught every other week over a 12 week period

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by Food Bank and Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences staff. For many, this is their first time receiving diabetes health education.

Despite having diabetes for 20 years, Isaac has never attended diabetes education classes until now.

“When I would go to the doctor, they still don’t tell you like they do here. [In the class,] they explain it all the way through with what you do and don’t need to do,” Isaac said. “Now that I’m learning about this, if I keep doing it, I can learn to control my diabetes.”

They say diabetes is a killer so you have to watch everything you do and everything you eat.

To support healthier eating choices, at the end of each class students receive a box full of nutritious, non-perishable food items tailored to the needs of people managing diabetes.

Food items in the box include whole grains like brown rice and whole wheat pasta, canned low-sodium vegetables, canned fruit in its own juice, lean protein like canned tuna and dried beans, and low-fat, shelf-stable milk. Each box also includes a suggested recipe from the Food Bank’s Nutrition Education team that uses the food inside the box.

Thanks to the new produce hub containers located at Caritas of Waco and CTLC, individuals in the program at these sites receive a bag of fresh produce in addition to the box of healthy food.

“The food boxes we get that have the recipes on the outside are awesome,” Charlotte, a class participant, said. “The quality of the fresh produce has been very good, too. Sometimes it’s things you wouldn’t normally buy, so it gives you the opportunity to try something you haven’t tried before.”

With nearly 460,000 individuals facing hunger in Central Texas, 38 percent of the Food Bank’s client households report at least one member with diabetes. The program represents a critical step in properly addressing diabetes among food insecure clients and helping those clients live a healthier life. We hope the program helps improve HbA1c control as well as reduce depressive symptoms and hypoglycemic episodes, improve food security, food stability, medication adherence, and reduced diabetes distress.

Additional outcomes include increased consumption of healthy foods, weight loss, improved lipid profile, and improved blood pressure range. If successful, the pilot will provide a scalable model with opportunities for expansion throughout Central Texas.

“I have learned a lot and I’m glad I came because I’m still learning more about what I have to do and what to expect,” Maria, class participant, said. “They say diabetes is a killer so you have to watch everything you do and everything you eat. I’m glad they have these classes to come to learn.”

You Make Our Mission Possible You’re the most important part of the fight against hunger in Central Texas. Without your support, our mission would not be possible.

When you stand with us as Central Texas children head back to school, you’re showing how much you care about our future generation.

Kids go to school hungry every day because there was not enough food at home for a full dinner the night before. This makes it difficult to concentrate in class or be excited for another day of learning.

Even with free and reduced price meals provided at schools, one in four Central Texas children struggle with hunger.

Back-to-school is an exciting time, but that anticipation can be overwhelmed by the worry of going to class on an empty stomach.

Many Central Texas children’s success is hindered – but it doesn’t have to be.

Sheila, who has three children, visits a Food Bank Mobile Pantry site in Waco to ensure there’s plenty of fresh, nourishing food at home for her family. She says, “We’ve gotten a lot of fruits and vegetables and that’s what I appreciate and what I like from here.”

With your generosity, we can increase the number of families we serve as our community heads back to school. Let’s set Central Texas kids up for success and fuel our leaders of tomorrow with the healthy food they need.

When you give to the Food Bank, kids and families have access to the nourishment necessary to thrive.

You can help Central Texas kids and families be stronger for tomorrow.

Donate generously today. Every $25 gift to the Central Texas Food Bank will provide 100 meals to our neighbors who struggle to make ends meet.

Your support changes lives. Thank you so much!

SAVE THE DATE FOR KIDSGIVING

Learning how seeds grow into plants from our Gardener, Greg Mast.

Anyone can be involved in the fight against hunger – including your little ones!

Save the date for the Food Bank’s KidsGiving event on Saturday, November 4, 2017 to kick off your holiday season with a morning of learning how to fight hunger in Central Texas.

Families of all ages are welcome to experience the Food Bank. You’ll be able to sort food donations, learn about our garden, take a picture on a forklift, and more.

More details to come! If you have any questions, please contact contribute@centraltexasfoodbank.org or call (512) 220-2680.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mark J. Williams, Chair

Stephen Portner

Barrett Wood, Vice Chair WoodGen, LLC

Hon. Jeff Rose Texas Third Court of Appeals

Terry G. Knighton, Secretary Luminex Corporation

John Sanchez

Kevin J. Koch, Treasurer McLane Company, Inc. Jen Alessandra SolarWinds Heidi Baschnagel National Instruments Corporation Shaun Cranston Brookfield Residential Properties Inc

Clint Scott CLS Partners Sheldy Starkes, MBA, PMP Booker, Starkes & Patodia, Inc. Leslie Sweet HEB Grocery Company, LP Anneliese Tanner Austin Independent School District

Kenneth Gladish, Ph.D.

Jason Thurman PlainsCapital Bank

Hari Jayaram Applied Materials

Michael G. Watkins, MD, FACC Seton Heart Institute

Timothy M. Lee thinc.small, LLC

Scott Weatherford Jackson Walker LLP

Pat Massey IBM Corporation

Shayne Woodard Waterloo Lobby & Advocacy, Inc.

Joyce Mullen Dell, Inc.

FEEDBACK? Questions, comments or change of address?

Email: communications@centraltexasfoodbank.org Read it online Download and subscribe to Food Bank publications at centraltexasfoodbank.org

THANK YOU HUNGER ACTION MONTH SPONSORS

MESSAGE from the PRESIDENT & CEO

If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter, I don’t have to tell you that hunger is a huge issue here in Central Texas. You don’t need to be reminded that there are nearly 460,000 food insecure people like Richard (featured in this issue) in our 21 county service area, many of them the most vulnerable among us.

I know that sometimes the magnitude of the problem can seem daunting. You might wonder what you can do to make a real difference in the face of numbers like that. That’s why we designate September as Hunger Action Month—to raise awareness of how hunger affects one in six of our friends and neighbors and to focus on providing all of us with easy ways to help.

Nothing runs on empty. And on an empty stomach, no one can reach their full potential. The feeling of running on empty is a reality for thousands of people in Central Texas, many of them children, seniors, and the disabled. Together, we can help everyone reach their full potential; and there are so many ways you can help our neighbors in need by taking action today. There are activities going on throughout September that benefit the Food Bank. Some ways to help are as easy as going out to one of your favorite spots to eat, drink, or listen to music.

You can also create an event or food drive of your own, volunteer, or advocate on hunger issues. We’ve created a list of ways for you to get involved during Hunger Action Month at bit.ly/2017ham.

You can also join the “Nothing Runs on Empty” social media campaign to help shine a light on the toll hunger takes by considering and sharing how it must feel to live with an empty stomach. Here’s how it works: •

Grab a paper plate or use the Food Bank’s printable template at bit.ly/2017ham.

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Jot down something you can’t do on an empty stomach: “On an empty stomach I can’t ______.”

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Post/share a picture of you holding the plate on your social networks using #HungerActionMonth and tag @Central Texas Food Bank on Facebook, and @CTXFoodBank on Twitter and Instagram

Everyone has a role to play in ending hunger. Won’t you help us continue the fight by taking action during Hunger Action Month?

Thank you.

Derrick Chubbs President & CEO

Our mission: To nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger.

6500 Metropolis Dr., Austin, TX 78744 | 512.282.2111

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