38 Refrigeration and Freezer Units Delivered to 20 Partner Agencies
AUSTIN, TX — On April 25, the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) celebrated the distribution of new refrigerators and freezers to partner agencies across its 21-county service area. This initiative is key to expanding access to healthy, fresh produce for Central Texans who need it most.
In total, 38 refrigeration and freezer units have been delivered to 20 partner agencies, with each recipient receiving two units — either one of each or a combination. Funded through a grant program, this investment strengthens CTFB’s broader effort to build capacity within its network of 250 community pantry partners, ensuring they can better meet the needs of the neighbors they serve.
One of the recipients was Pflugerville First United Methodist Church. Pantry Co-Chair Tim Call says they serve 450 neighbors a week but have had up to 520 at times and often had to choose between products due to a lack of refrigeration space.
“We were always one freezer short to comfortably have enough protein on hand for our clients. We would order eggs and that would take up all my refrigerator space. Now, if I order eggs, and they have cheese available, I can order cheese and eggs,“ said Call. “All the effort the Central Texas Food Bank puts forward makes my team absolutely grateful. It helps us keep pace with where we’re at with the client base.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dietary guidelines, fruits and vegetables should make up half of an individual’s daily plate. By providing cold storage units, CTFB empowers its partners to accept and distribute greater quantities of fresh produce, dairy and other perishable foods. CTFB’s goal is for 50 percent of its food distributions to be fresh produce, and these new units play a vital role in reaching that benchmark. The state-of-the-art refrigeration units feature glass-front doors that showcase the fresh options available, helping encourage more customers to select nutritious items.
“These refrigerators and freezers are about more than just equipment — they represent expanded opportunities for our community members to access the necessary and healthy food needed to thrive.” said Sari Vatske, President + CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank.
Partner Agencies receiving refrigerators and freezers include:
Austin Area:
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Bread for All, Austin
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Communities in Schools, Austin
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East Austin Neighborhood Center
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Harvest Blessings Food Pantry, Austin
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Montopolis Recreation Center, Austin
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Community of Hope, Cedar Creek
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Cameron Area Christian Services, Cameron
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UT Children’s Wellness Center, Del Valle
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Hill Country Community Ministries, Leander
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Operation Liberty Hill, Leander
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Manchaca United Methodist Church
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Pflugerville First United Methodist Church
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Church of the Harvest, Round Rock
Waco Area:
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Cove House, Copperas Cove
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Hamilton-Manjang Mission House, Killeen
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Word of Life Fellowship, Killeen
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Gospel Lighthouse Church, Marlin
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Temple College Foundation
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Acts Church Storehouse, Waco
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Crestview Church of Christ, Waco
About the Central Texas Food Bank
The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) is the largest hunger-relief nonprofit in Central Texas, dedicated to providing immediate and equitable access to nutritious food for families and individuals across a 21-county service area. Through direct-service programs and a network of approximately 240 community partners, CTFB supports over 530,000 food-insecure Central Texans each year. Learn more at centraltexasfoodbank.org.
