Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation

As summer winds down, so do many programs that strive to feed low-income children when they have no access to nutritious school meals.

KETK in East Texas reports that the East Texas Food Bank's Summer Food Program is closing the books on a record year, in which it fed about 1,600 children per day. That's a 12% increase over the previous year, pointing to the increased demand schools can expect this fall of the USDA's free and reduced-price lunch program.

Luckily, Texas schools are helping families sign up for this federal program, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Unluckily, the skyrocketing price of food is ravaging the program's already strained budget, forcing schools to charge more and deliver less, according to congressional testimony heard earlier this summer. 

Proper nutrition has been proven time and again to increase test scores and lower bad behavior in school. When the price of food affects our ability to feed our children, what does that say about our priorities?

85% Spike in Need Strips San Antonio Shelves Bare

It's been a rough summer in San Antonio for hungry families.

“In the news media, when there was a debate of whether there was a recession, I had no question. We saw it here all the time,” said Eric Cooper, executive director of the San Antonio Food Bank. “People are underemployed. They cannot afford the cost of food and their increased expenses.”

The food bank's fiscal year ending in June saw an 85% increase over the previous year, with only a 4% increase in donations, according to the San Antonio Express News. Likewise, 10,000 more San Antonians were forced to turn to food stamps this year to make ends meet.

The paper responded with an editorial calling on San Antonians to give, and reminding them that hunger doesn't take a vacation. 

“Even though we are not dealing with a natural disaster, we are dealing with a disaster nonetheless,” said Zuani Villarreal, the the food bank's director of development.

Hunger Relief Gets a Leg up on Gustav

The Texas anti-hunger community didn't have much of a vacation this weekend, as many agencies worked around the clock to prepare for refugees from Hurricane Gustav. 

Food Banks from across Texas rallied their communities to ship emergency "family boxes" to affected areas. The East Texas Food Bank alone delivered 26,016 pounds of food to 12 shelters over the course of the hurricane (1, 2). 

Recognizing the central need for hunger relief during natural disasters, food banks were joined by students in Amarillo, GOP convention-watchers in Dallas, and even a Hurricane Katrina refugee to feed those fleeing the gulf. 

Now the real work begins! Just like Hurricane Dolly, first responders tend to draw down before the flood waters recede and the refugees can go home. Food banks are now looking for ways to provide meals - and especially snacks - to the hundreds of refugee families still stuck in Texas. 

Consider it part of your Hunger Action Month duties - if you have money or food to spare, consider donating to these hard-working orgs!

Update: As of September 4th, the East Texas Food Bank has distributed 34,765 pounds to Gustav refugees.

Hunger Action Month Begins!

September is Hunger Action Month in Texas and across the country - with an emphasis on "action!" Consider this a reminder that outraged blog posts and lonely RSS browsing and are no substitute for the real-world action needed to end hunger.

But what can you do from your desktop computer? More than you'd expect...

1. Make it official with cardboard - Take a photo of yourself with a sign saying "Hunger is Unacceptable" and upload it here. See how many other Texans share the sentiment!
2. Join the crowd - Sign up for regular advocacy alerts from the Texas Food Bank Network and Feeding America, the nation's network of food banks.
   
3. Tweet up - Are you in Austin and on Twitter? (Is that a redundant question?) If so, sign up for a volunteer tweet-up at the Capital Area Food Bank Sept. 11th & 13th!
4. Take the food stamps challenge - Are you in East Texas? Take the East Texas Food Bank's Food Stamps Challenge and gain an appreciation for the sacrifices that come with hunger.
5. Not in Texas at all? Your loss. But you can find many more events in your home state here.
   

Census: 1 in 6 Texans Live Below Poverty

Despite an economic recovery lasting from 2003-2007, nearly one in six Texans – and nearly one in four Texas children – remain below the federal poverty line, according to new Census data released earlier this week.

These findings confirm that the recovery was one of the weakest on record, with costs-of-living and low wage growth driving many new families to poverty. 3.8 million Texans, 1.5 million of whom were children, lived below the meager federal poverty guideline of $20,650 for a family of four in 2007, according to the Census.

Although this data covers only 2007, evidence from Texas food banks and food stamp offices suggest that conditions have worsened since then:

• State food stamp offices served 2.5 million Texans this August, compared with 2.3 million at this time last year.
  
• Members of the Texas Food Bank Network have reported an 11% increase in demand over the prior year, and are now feeding more than 385,000 households every month.

Hunger is growing by every measure. That means it's likely that poverty is growing, too.

Food Banks Struggling to Meet Hurricane Needs

Demand for emergency food has risen across Texas this summer, and across the population - working families, kids and seniors are all facing the prospect of hunger.

Now add to the list hurricane victims, as food banks find themselves attending to ongoing needs when emergency teams from FEMA and the Red Cross stand down.

This week, the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley issued a statewide appeal (1, 2) for more food following Hurricane Dolly. While most first responders and shelter managers have gone home, the food bank continues to see a flood of need.

"Normally, our agencies serve about 517 meals per day in any given week, whereas they are now serving 3,255 meals per day," said Terri Drefke, executive director of the food bank.

Should private charity be our only safety net when federal efforts aren't enough? FEMA seems to think so, as they are now considering phasing out the delivery of ice following natural disasters. Meanwhile, food banks along the Texas coast are turning their attention to Tropical Storm Edouard.

Hunger Rising Among Texas Elderly

A report released today by the Meals on Wheels Association of America Foundation projects that the raw number of elderly Americans suffering from food insecurity will grow 75% by 2025.

According to U.S. Census statistics, there are currently more than 185,000 food-insecure Texans 65 years and older. Using this report's projections, the state is likely to face nearly 324,000 food insecure elderly by 2025.

Not surprisingly, the report finds that food insecurity among the elderly results in low vitamin intake and poor health outcomes. It also agrees with findings published last November by the South Texas Food Bank showing the primary causes of hunger to include low income, education levels and assets. "Controlling for other factors," today's report concludes, "seniors without emotional or financial support are substantially more likely to suffer from hunger."

In Tyler, the East Texas Food Bank is partnering with Meals on Wheels to serve the growing number of seniors there who have been hurt by rising food and fuel prices. According to KETK News, the program now has its first waiting list in 35 years, and has discovered recipients rationing food to get through the weekend.