[dropcap]P[/dropcap]roviding a helping hand to those who may be food insecure during the summer months, especially children, is the focus for a Hays County Food Bank summer donation drive.
The Lend a Hand drive aims to help the food bank restock their shelves for the next few months, said Mallory Best, Hays County Food Bank communications coordinator.
The 2017 drive, which runs from June 1 to July 31, is spurred by an increase in need during the summer months last year. Approximately 1,500 more families were provided with food last August than what the food bank sees in an average month.
“Summer hunger is a real thing and it exists,” Best said. “We’re trying to push this, so we can help those who don’t have food at all.”
By raising funds, the food bank is able to provide food to those who may need it all year long.
Want to help?
Donations to the Hays County Food Bank can be made at haysfoodbank.org/donate_funds.aspx. Check or cash donations can be mailed to 220 Herndon Street, San Marcos, TX, 78666.
Michelle, a mother whose daughter benefits from the program, said in a statement meals provided by the food bank help her child obtain nutrients she may not have received otherwise.
“[The doctors] say she’s keeping up with her age level,” Michelle said. “She’s not underweight or malnourished.”
Rosalie, another food bank client, visited a food bank distribution site to provide food for her son earlier this year after she lost her job.
““I always make sure that [my son] gets fed first before I get fed…he’s a growing boy. [Hunger] will affect him and his learning, his school, and his activity level,” Rosalie said in a statement.
The HCFB also funds a program that assists students who may also not have enough to eat, both during the school year and after the final bell rings.
The “We got your BACKpack” program, which began in January 2017, began providing “kid-accessible” meals, such as ravioli, peanut butter and tuna pouches, to Hays CISD students that qualify for free and reduced breakfast and lunch.
Roughly 45 percent of Hays County students are on free or reduced breakfast and lunch programs.
Best said pilot programs for the backpack initiative were hosted at Wallace Middle School and Hemphill Elementary School.
According to Hays CISD figures, 90 percent of students at Hemphill are on the free or reduced lunch program. Since then, the program has expanded to Camino Real Elementary, as well as Chapa and McCormick Middle Schools, which also have a high percentage of students on free or reduced lunch.
The HCFB backpack program provides food two times per month at each campus. Best said the food bank can provide food for 400 students, but as a result of demand, can provide for “more than that.”
At Hemphill, the program provides for 200 meals, with organizers cycling children in order to meet the need of all students.
“We will be able to give schools more items, so we can help all children,” Best said.
Parents are able to go and pick up donations for students at the distribution sites.
“We don’t want to call any kids out,” Best said. “We don’t want it to be embarrassing, because they need a little extra help.”
The HCFB also provides funding for the Wimberley Fig Tree Outreach Program, which assists students on free or reduced lunch in Wimberley ISD.
According to the Fig Tree’s Facebook page, the program distributed 2,250 backpacks during the school year.
Best said the next phase for the food bank is to get the backpack program rolling more campuses. Their goal is to be able to hit 500 households.
“We are trying to get into more schools at this time,” Best said.
Free breakfast and lunch during the summer months
Hays CISD also has a way for students to obtain free breakfast and lunch during the summer months.
Five campuses host breakfast and lunch, which are free for children 18 and under.
The program runs until the end of the month at four of the sites, with the final day for the lunch program taking place July 6.
Lehman High School
- June 7 - July 6 (Closed July 3rd and 4th)
- Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:00 am
- Lunch: 11:45-12:15 pm
Chapa Middle School
- June 5 - June 23
- Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:00 am
- Lunch: 11:00 - 12:00 pm
Hemphill Elementary
- June 5 - June 30
- Breakfast: 7:00 - 7:30 am
- Lunch: 10:45 - 12:15 pm
Tobias Elementary
- June 5 - June 23
- Breakfast: 7:15 - 7:45 am
- Lunch: 10:45 - 12:15 pm
Camino Real Elementary
- June 5 - June 23
- Breakfast: 8:30 - 9:00 am
- Lunch: 11:30 - 12:15 pm
For more information, please contact Michael Thibodeaux, director of child nutrition, at 512-268-1336.
