177,143 Central Texans live in extreme poverty. And over 400,000 Central Texans are classified as “working poor”. At any time, many of our neighbors live day to day, not knowing where their next meal will come from or what it will consist of. In emergency situations these Central Texans depend on the 370 local food pantries like Caritas and Catholic Charities. They depend on these pantries for their nutrition and they have little choice about what they will receive when they get there. Again, our food pantries do the best with the food they have but they depend on what we send them. At the same time, obesity is a growing problem, especially in low-income families. The Texas Department of Health Services reports that 28% of low income children in our state, aged two to five, are obese.
So, there are long term costs associated with improperly feeding our hungry. Let’s consider the hierarchy of nutrition provided by food in different forms. We all know the most vitamins, minerals and overall nutritional values are delivered by fresh, whole foods. Frozen foods are second in nutritional value, followed by canned items and finally processed foods. It’s unrealistic, however, to expect that we can drop a fresh apple or frozen bags of peas in a barrel and expect it to be delivered in good shape to someone at a food pantry. So what is the most efficient and effective way to feed our hungry neighbors?
Surprisingly, cash donations are the most valuable gifts we can make to our favorite food bank or pantry. The Capital Area Food Bank, for example, could take the same $20 you might spend on a meal of less nutritious nonperishable food at your local grocery store and turn that $20 into 100 healthy meals. That is efficiency! And, today, many local nonprofits addressing hunger go beyond feeding needy Central Texans. Organizations like the Capital Area Food Bank and Meals on Wheels and More not only provide food but they employ nutritionists to provide their low-income clients with education about healthy eating habits -- getting at the root of the obesity problem many hungry Central Texans face. And these folks must be paid with much needed dollars. So, as you drop a can of green beans in the barrel for your favorite food pantry, drop a check in the mail too!