STRATA in the Community: Food for Families 2022

The holidays are an extremely busy time for food banks throughout Texas. Fortunately, each year various organizations come together to help collect food and keep them stocked through the winter months.

The USDA reports that more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, are food insecure in the United States. In Texas alone, 3,720,710 people are facing hunger, with 1,395,890 of those being children. That translates to 1 in 8 people, and 1 in 5 children, currently facing hunger.

 

Food for Families – Helping Locally

No family should have to choose between paying for food and healthcare, or food and monthly bills. Food for Families is an annual project sponsored by the Longhorn Council, Boy Scouts of America, HEB Grocery Company, and KWTX News 10. As the largest one-day food drive in Texas, it spans 9 counties and collects more than 1 million pounds of non-perishable food each year.

STRATA was honored to be able to support Food for Families for the second year in a row. This year, our employees collected 2,214 pounds of food items – more than doubling our numbers from last year!

Last year alone, with the help of generous organizations and individuals in the area, Food for Families successfully collected 2,644,406 pounds of food, stocking food banks and pantries across Texas well beyond the holiday season. With several drop off locations available, donating is easy. There is also an online portal available for monetary donations. Pantries in Belton, Clifton, Fairfield, Killeen, Temple, and Whitney, as well as Caritas of Waco, are all set up as financial support recipients.

 

Help with Hunger Nationwide

Nationally, the US has over 200 food banks and 60,000 partner pantries. If you’re looking to support a local pantry, Feeding America has a food bank finder. You may also locate specific areas of the US that are projected to be in the most need with their easy-to-use map.