On March 4, the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) gathered with community leaders, partners and supporters to recognize four organizations whose impact is being felt at dinner tables across the region. Named our “Hunger Heroes,” these partners exemplify the leadership, innovation and compassion required to increase food access in Central Texas.
While we are fortunate to work alongside hundreds of dedicated organizations and companies each year, these four stand out for the way they consistently show up — strengthening food access, responding when needs grow and helping ensure neighbors can find support when it matters most.
This year’s Hunger Heroes are:
- H-E-B
- Armed Services YMCA of Killeen
- Gatesville Independent School District
- Applied Materials
Each partnership tells a different story. Together, they demonstrate what’s possible when a community comes together.
H-E-B: A 30-Year Commitment to Central Texas
For more than three decades, H-E-B has stood beside CTFB — investing in programs and long-term solutions.
H-E-B donates millions of pounds of food each year, helping maintain consistent access to nutritious options year-round. They support school pantries and children’s meal programs. They provide gift cards and reusable grocery bags for neighbors accessing food assistance. When disasters strike, they step up with coordination, product, and funding.
Their employees have volunteered more than 660 hours in the past three years alone. Their leaders serve on our Board of Directors. And their $1 million lead gift toward our new Waco facility will expand food access for years to come.
It is difficult to overstate the impact of a partnership sustained for 30 years. H-E-B’s commitment ensures that when neighbors need food, it is there.
Watch their nomination video.
Armed Services YMCA of Killeen: Serving Those Who Serve
Since 2022, Armed Services YMCA of Killeen has been a vital pantry partner serving active-duty military families, veterans and low-income households in Bell County — home to Fort Hood.
Military families face unique challenges. Permanent change of station transitions, limited employment opportunities for spouses and income thresholds that disqualify some families from federal assistance all contribute to food insecurity within this community.
ASYMCA understands those realities deeply.
In November 2024, they expanded their reach by opening a Five Star Food Market in downtown Killeen, increasing access for neighbors across the region.
In 2025 alone, CTFB provided more than 10 million meals in Bell County. ASYMCA plays a critical role in ensuring those meals reach families efficiently and with dignity.
Their ability to manage large-scale distributions while remaining compassionate and mission-driven strengthens resilience in a community that sacrifices so much for our nation.
Watch their nomination video.
Gatesville ISD: One Year of Filling Tables
In Coryell County, nearly a quarter of residents experience food insecurity. Yet, as Michelle Martin of Gatesville ISD explains, the need is not always visible.
“You drive through Gatesville and it looks like this charming little Texas town,” Martin said. “But you get off the main street, and you go into homes where people may not have heat, running water, or food in their cabinets.”
Before Stinger Stash Food Market opened in December 2024, Martin frequently encountered families in crisis.
“I’d have moms come in and say, ‘It’s the 10th of the month and we’re already out of food. Is there anywhere I can get help?’ It’s everywhere. You just have to look for it.”
In its first year, Stinger Stash distributed nearly 100,000 pounds of food to almost 16,000 individuals. What began as a bold idea quickly became a trusted resource.
“I thought it would take us a year to serve 500 people,” Martin laughed. “By the third month, we were already doing 800 visits.”
Today, the choice-based market allows families to shop for fresh milk, strawberries, potatoes, meat and pantry staples — selecting what they will actually use.
“I wish you could see people’s faces when they walk in,” Martin said. “Their faces just light up.”
Superintendent Barrett Pollard emphasized how housing the pantry within the school reduces barriers and stigma.
“It really removes barriers,” Pollard explained. “Instead of going somewhere unfamiliar, people can come right into a school building.”
Students are central to its success. Senior Jasleen Fuentes volunteers regularly.
“It means a lot,” Fuentes said. “I get to meet new people… This pantry really helps.”
And Martin’s message to donors is simple:
“To our donors — thank you from my heart. You may not realize what your donation does — but come to the pantry, and I’ll show you.”
Watch their nomination video.
Applied Materials: Engineering Efficiency to Serve Neighbors Faster
Three and a half years ago, CTFB leadership recognized an opportunity to rethink how food moved through our Sort Room — the space where donated food is inspected, sorted and prepared for distribution.
“When I arrived at the Central Texas Food Bank about three-and-a-half years ago, one of the first things I realized was the special partnership we had with Applied Materials,” shared President & CEO Sari Vatske. “We realized that there was an opportunity to leverage Applied Materials’ talents in other ways than we had ever before.”
The room at the time was fixed and inflexible.
“The tables that you see in the back, the conveyor belt that you see over there, that was all bolted to the ground,” recalled Anurita Mittra. “You could work only on one project at a time.”
A cross-functional team from Applied Materials — including Amanda Dixon, Kenny Nguyen and Erundaphi — volunteered their expertise in automation, industrial engineering and process improvement.
“We spent a lot of time observing just the current work,” Amanda explained. “We did what we call time studies… we film a full eight hours and break that into as small of steps as possible.”
They identified bottlenecks, rebalanced headcount, redesigned layouts, and introduced expandable conveyor systems that allowed flexibility and growth.
Even small changes mattered.
“Just cleaning your hands could take 15 minutes with 40 volunteers,” Kenny said. “So we were like, hey, let’s make it a three-hand-wash station.”
Those incremental wins added up to something remarkable.
“For this room… to be able to process food faster, the 35% increase that we've seen from last year compared to this year, it just means that we are able to get food faster, fresher to our neighbors,” Mittra shared. “We are able to fill their tables faster.”
Erundaphi reflected on the deeper impact, “Every minute that we save helps bring food to someone… I was very, very proud.”
This is corporate social responsibility at its best — lending expertise to strengthen systems that serve thousands of families.
A Collective Impact
Each of these Hunger Heroes reflects a different kind of leadership:
- Sustained investment
- Operational innovation
- Community-based compassion
- School-centered access
Together, they demonstrate that increasing food access requires more than food. It requires partnership, expertise, trust, and heart.
Because of them and because of the donors and volunteers who stand behind this work — more neighbors can put food on the table.
That is how we fill empty tables and make tomorrow possible.
