The Need
Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as a “household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” Much bigger than just “hunger” – it is a complex web of socio-economic and health concerns that impacts more than 14% of Texas households. Food is a basic need, yet limited food dollars compete with the need for other necessities such as medication, housing, utilities, and transportation in food insecure households.
Food insecure adults are at increased risk for a variety of negative health outcomes and health disparities besides hunger and malnutrition. Food insecure adults often consume a nutrient-poor diet which can contribute to the development of obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and other chronic health conditions. To compound the problem, low-income, food insecure families may postpone needed medical care or underuse medicine in order to buy food, which can result in worsening health conditions, hospitalizations and increased healthcare costs. Food insecurity has been recognized as one of the most important social determinants of health.
Children in food insecure homes are at an even greater risk of long-term and potentially life-long health problems as their developing bodies and minds often lack adequate nutrition for proper development. Children often have diminished physical and mental health, longer recoveries and a greater incidence of developmental and educational delays. These delays perpetuate the cycle of poverty as food insecure children struggle to keep up with and compete with food secure, higher-income peers throughout their education.
Food insecure, unhealthy adults may miss more work due to health issues and may face other economic barriers to full and adequate employment (lack of transportation, current relevant job skills, etc.). Without addressing the ongoing economic barriers, food insecurity and the cycle of food need and health disparities will remain. Food insecure individuals in small towns and rural areas face even larger hurdles due to a lack of full grocery stores, fewer local employment opportunities and long travel times to food pantries, healthcare and employment training.
Although Texas is a state of abundant wealth and natural resources – agricultural, technological, human and financial – one in seven Texas families face the difficult choice between putting food on the table or paying for other necessary household expenses.
In raw numbers, this means that over 4 million Texans (1.6 million of whom are children) experience food insecurity, a rate that is higher than the national average.
Hunger is unacceptable, and the Feeding Texas network is committed to changing that.
The Solutions:
Each year, Feeding Texas offers a comprehensive suite of programs and services that impact over 4 million Texans. We help feed those in need today, connect people to ongoing resources for tomorrow and empower people to be self-sufficient for life. Feeding Texas addresses the immediate suffering of hunger as well as its root causes.
Our programs include:
Social Services. Our Social Services team supports a network of 19 food bank partners to connect low-income Texans – including seniors, veterans and rural residents– to federal nutrition and health benefits.
Health Promotion. The Health Promotions team develops nutrition education, obesity prevention, and disease management programs, trains food bank partners to implement these programs, and conducts ongoing program evaluation to assess impact and improve services.
Education. As the voice of our 21 food banks, Feeding Texas works with decision-makers to protect and improve public investments in poverty-reducing programs, and we provide research and expertise on food security, nutritional health, and economic opportunity policy debates.
Food Sourcing. Since 2001, Feeding Texas has supported a statewide fresh produce recovery program through a grant from the Texas Department of Agriculture. This grant provides funds to our food banks to source and distribute free or low-cost donations of surplus produce that would otherwise go to waste.
Disaster Coordination. Feeding Texas provides training and technical assistance to our food banks to ensure disaster preparedness. In times of disaster, we coordinate the flow of food and other supplies between the food banks, assess the need in impacted areas, coordinate local, state and national communications, and allocate donations for relief and recovery efforts.
VISTA. The Client Empowerment Corps is an AmeriCorps*VISTA project that builds the capacity of our member food banks to pursue new, innovative projects that address the root causes of food insecurity. Projects include strategic partnerships with educational, financial, healthcare, and other community service providers that help people seeking food assistance build greater stability in their lives.
Client Voices Project. The Client Voices Project seeks to bring the lived experience of hunger to the center of the conversation. Through collecting, preserving and sharing voices of hunger, we aim to humanize the experience of food insecurity to create a more just and equitable food system.
Hunters for the Hungry. This program allows hunters to donate legally tagged, field-dressed deer at participating meat processors. The processors prepare the venison for distribution to local hunger relief agencies like our food banks and food pantries, providing an excellent source of lean protein.
Our Capacity:
Since 1986 Feeding Texas has built an unmatched ability among nonprofits to drive statewide strategies and resources to every Texas community. We leverage our network of twenty-one regional food banks, nationally recognized staff experts and major partners from the public and private sectors to deliver solutions to hunger that are both locally targeted and scalable statewide.
The foundation of our success is built on four core strengths:
• Thought leadership
Feeding Texas’ staff are recognized for expertise in hunger, nutrition and food policy, as well as experience facilitating the transfer of knowledge and skills among different organizations. Our statewide perspective and close ties to the national anti-hunger community help us recognize and raise up the innovations and best practices that will define the next step in ending hunger.
• Leveraging resources
Our trusted partnerships with major state agencies, corporations and private funders have built a solid infrastructure from which to grow new statewide initiatives. As the only organization currently able to drive anti-hunger resources to every one of Texas’ 254 counties, we represent a unique conduit for major resources and new ideas.
• Accelerating trajectories
Our close alignment with food banks’ missions and staff give us a unique ability to accelerate their progress towards our joint goals. Whether the challenge is to dig deeper on existing success or transform an area of practice, we are able to provide the technical assistance, expertise and resources that will lower the barriers and mitigate the risks holding our food banks back.
• Educating & persuading
Feeding Texas is perhaps best known for our clear, strong voice in public policy debates affecting hungry Texans. In Austin and Washington, we are recognized and respected for our nonpartisan analysis, thoughtful advocacy and public education on the causes of and solutions to hunger. We are also at the forefront of centering the voices of Texans experiencing hunger in the discussions that impact their lives.
Our Board
The Board of Directors of Feeding Texas is comprised of the CEOs/Executive Directors of our 21 member food banks. The board members come from long nonprofit management backgrounds as well as corporate backgrounds. The varying perspectives find common ground in the desire to make life better for their communities and for all Texans. Board members serve on the Feeding Texas board during the tenure as the leader of their food bank.
Hunger is a solvable problem. The knowledge, tools, and policies exist to end hunger if we can harness the collective will and resources to make this happen. Feeding Texas is uniquely positioned to lead the effort and move toward food security and financial stability for all Texans, and we invite you to be a part of the solution.
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