Austin, TX (July 20, 2020) – The Central Texas Food Bank today announced a $129,672 grant from the Walmart Foundation to help secure and distribute more fresh produce to families in need. The grant helped the Food Bank purchase a new refrigerated semi-truck trailer and bagging equipment that allows just-in-time delivery of produce to several of its partner food pantries, increasing the organization’s yearly produce distribution capacity by nearly 700,000 pounds. “One in seven people in Central Texas struggle with hunger and we’re seeing even higher numbers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Derrick Chubbs, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. “People who face hunger do not have regular access to enough food for a healthy, active life. With this grant, we’re not just providing fresh produce to people in a time of great need, we also hope to improve health outcomes.”
The Central Texas Food Bank is using the funding to remove some of the barriers to distributing a higher volume and an expanded variety of nutritious produce when and where it is needed. The new refrigerated trailer and bagging equipment allows produce items to have up to a ten-day shelf life. In addition, the Food Bank will be able to collaborate with other food banks, helping to reduce their freight costs for produce.
Research shows that communities with the highest rates of food insecurity face a higher risk of health-related diseases. The Feeding America® network of food banks, of which the Central Texas Food Bank is a member, has secured 1.5 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables for families in need.
Walmart and the Walmart Foundation provide donations of both food and funds to the Feeding America nationwide network of 200 member food banks. In just the last five years, the Central Texas Food Bank has received more than $800,000 in grants and donations from Walmart’s “Fight Hunger. Spark Change” campaigns. To learn more about what the Central Texas Food Bank is doing to fight hunger, visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.
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ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK
The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of nearly 300 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 50,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts. For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit www.centraltexasfoodbank.org.
