In this week’s article, I want to discuss the importance of donating food to your local
food bank. It is important to note that it is not just during the holiday season that people are in
need of food. I ask that we try and give back by helping those who are less fortunate and very
much in need. District 32 is served by the Coastal Bend Food Bank (CBFB), which serves
eleven coastal counties that include Aransas and Nueces Counties. The CBFB is one of the 21
food banks located throughout the state that make up Feeding Texas. This organization provides
food to charities and service organizations in all 254 counties in Texas.
It is estimated by a recent study that around 4 million Texans suffer from food insecurity
in our state. Food banks across Texas are an extremely important source of food. It is important
to remember that the individuals that need help from the food banks come from a broad cross-
section of households. The percentage of the total food that is distributed by food programs is
heavily dependent on our local food banks. To put that in perspective, around 69% of all the
sources of food comes from Feeding America member food banks.
There are many ways that you can help feed the hungry. You can donate food and/or
money to the food banks or even coordinate a food/fund drive. If you would like to donate food,
the food banks are always in need of nutritious, non-perishable foods such as: meals in a can
(stew, chili, soup), tuna / canned meat, peanut butter, canned foods with pop-top lids, low sugar
cereals, 100% fruit juices in single serving boxes, canned fruit packed in juice, and canned
vegetables (low salt).
While food donations are welcome and appreciated, the most convenient way to give is to
make a monetary donation online. The CBFB accepts credit card donations by way of their
website: https://coastalbendfoodbank.org/donate/. Monetary donations give each food bank the
flexibility to put resources towards specific food areas that may be more depleted than others.
For more information about the Food Bank, visit: https://coastalbendfoodbank.org/
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article,
please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my
office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to
contact my office regarding constituent services. My offices are available at any time to assist
with questions, concerns, or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-
4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Aransas County and Nueces County (Part). He can be contacted
at todd.hunter@house.texas.gov or at 512-463-0672.