Central Texas Food Bank Gets $55K Grant From Starbucks

AUSTIN, TX — The Central Texas Food Bank received a $55,000 grant from Starbucks to help alleviate hunger in Central Texas, officials announced on Monday.

Funds will support the food bank’s mobile pantries, its officials said, enabling them to sustain the program across a 21-county service territory while continuing to adapt the program for safely distributing food during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By taking food directly to people who face hunger, mobile food pantries fill geographic and service gaps in food assistance by providing those in need with basic staples, fruits and vegetables, food bank officials said. Last year, the Central Texas Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry Program provided more than 4.9 million pounds of staple foods, fresh produce and meats to an average of 6,594 households per month, officials added.

“One in seven people in Central Texas struggle with hunger,” Derrick Chubbs, president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank, said in a prepared statement. “We are proud to partner with Starbucks and Feeding America® to ensure that people who struggle with hunger have access to wholesome meals. This grant exemplifies what we can accomplish when we work together.”

Added Jane Maly, social impact manager at Starbucks: “Our local communities need our support now more than ever, and Starbucks is committed to doing our part to help alleviate hunger in the U.S. Our investment in Central Texas Food Bank’s innovative mobile food pantry program goes beyond our food donation partnership to reach even more families in need closer to where they live.”

Starbucks is increasing its commitment to ending hunger by investing in Feeding America programs and member food banks across the U.S., officials of the coffee shop chain said. This summer, the company has re-invested $1 million to support mobile food pantry programs for 13 food banks across the U.S., including the Central Texas Food Bank, as part of its efforts to help alleviate hunger. The company has also donated more than 27 million meals since 2016 through its U.S. FoodShare program, and is expanding hunger-related donation programs to additional countries around the world.

The Central Texas Food Bank is on the front line of hunger relief, helping nearly 50,000 Central Texans each week access nutritious food when they need it the most. In the last fiscal year, the Food Bank distributed more than 52 million pounds of food, which is equivalent to more than 43 million meals, officials said.

For more information, please visit centraltexasfoodbank.org.

ABOUT THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK

The mission of Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank provides food and grocery products through a network of nearly 300 Partner Agencies and nutrition programs, serving nearly 50,000 people every week. Headquartered in Austin, the Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas, an area about twice the size of Massachusetts.

For more information on the Food Bank and its programs, visit www.centraltexasfoodbank.org.

ABOUT STARBUCKS

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee, officials said. Today, with more than 30,000 stores across the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through its unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, company officials said, they bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life "...for every customer through every cup."

To share in the experience, visit in-store or online at https://stories.starbucks.com/ and www.Starbucks.com.