[dropcap]I[/dropcap]magine going to the grocery store and walking past a woman on the sidewalk casually scrolling through her Facebook feed outside the market.

One may not have realized they had just witnessed the face of hunger.

No, that woman may never appear in a somber commercial on hunger where young children in third world countries are often photographed emaciated and sad.

Real hunger, however, has no “look.” It just is.

“Hunger has no specific look and many of our neighbors are going hungry,” Mallory Best, the Communications Coordinator of Hays County Food Bank said.

History of giving

Since its start in 1983, the Hays County Food Bank works to combat the enemy known as hunger in the community.

The HCFB is designed to be “a viable source of food to agencies serving the needy in San Marcos and surrounding areas.”

Best said the Hays County Food Bank was originally named the San Marcos Area Food Bank Inc., and was started by a board of eight people with the purpose to “acquire, develop, equip, conduct and maintain food storage and distribution facilities for receiving, storing and distributing food for the ill, the needy or infants.”

“Hunger exists throughout our entire nation, with the food insecurity population of our county (Hays) being 24,700,” Best said citing a 2015 statistic from Feeding America.

The HCFB started as a small nonprofit working with 26 agencies to feed over 400 families in 1985.

Today, it’s an organization providing food directly to individuals and households at six public distribution sites each week and served an average of 1,000 clients a week in 2016.

Best said what started as a charitable food distribution organization for the San Marcos area grew to serve individuals and families in the region. That decision was based on a letter to the board in 1985 by Cindy Robillard, who was the food bank’s director.

Best said in 2016, the HCFB was able to provide food for 4,335 clients each month, totaling 52,027 clients fed that year.

Providing to those in need

The HCFB still provides services for over 20 agencies in the surrounding area that pick up food from the HCFB to distribute through their own agencies.

Examples include Communities in Schools, church pantries, housing authorities, senior centers and other nonprofits.

Best said in 2016, these partnerships helped feed an average of 1,600 households in Hays County.

But without donations from local individuals, organizations, corporations, foundations and granting agencies, Best said none of the charitable work done by Hays County Food Bank could be possible.

“Through the partnership with Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB), Hays County Food Bank is able to receive food from H-E-B stores in San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Wimberley, from Sam’s Club in San Marcos, from Target in Kyle and from CTFB itself,” Best said.

The HCFB also receives food donated by Night Hawk Frozen Foods Inc. in Buda and restaurant partners like Golden Chick, Papa John’s, Centerpoint Station, Dos Gatos and Starbucks, Best said.

Food drives and individual donations in 2016 accounted for 148,489 pounds of food collected, which was distributed to clients that year.

As a nonprofit organization, the HCFB relies on funding from Hays County and cities like San Marcos, Kyle and Buda. Other means of funding come through grants, civic organizations, corporations, churches, schools and employee-giving programs.

Best said individual donations in 2016 accounted for 30 percent of all funding for the organization allowing HCFB to continue feeding hungry individuals and families.

Even though HCFB started with distributing food only two days a week, it now distributes food at seven different sites at least twice a week to anyone who qualifies, not just Hays County residents.

A bright future ahead

Best said the growing nonprofit organization is looking ahead to the future.

The nonprofit is now governed by a board of directors that includes a president, vice president, secretary and a treasurer. The HCFB also has two internal committees, seven full time staff members, three part time staff members and a CEO.

In addition to the 10 staffed employees, Best said there are numerous volunteers from all walks of life who contribute to the day-to-day operations of the food bank.

“We hope to expand these programs in the future so that we can assist even more people in need in our area but the level of our expansion will be directly correlated with our ability to obtain a new facility,” Best said.

Volunteer opportunities at the Hays County Food Bank

• Food Rescue/Warehouse: Assist drivers on food rescue runs, sort/organize food donations, general cleaning duties


• Driver: Responsible for driving vans to pick up food from various community partners


• Distribution: Load/unload vans with food for distribution, set up distribution areas, hand out food to clients, general clean up


• Adopt-A-Farm: Planting, weeding, mulching, harvesting, general farm duties


• Mobile Food Pantry & Fresh Foods for Families: Set up distribution area, process food for clients, general clean up


• Special Events: Set up/tear down at events, wera costumes as needed, hand out marketing materials

Most needed items

• Canned meats


• Canned Corn


• Macaroni & Cheese


• Tomato Sauce


• Canned Fruites in Light Syrup


• Low Sodium Soups


• Pasta & Pasta Sauces


• Low Sodium Soups


• Pasta & Pasta Sauces


• Low Sodium Mixed Vegetables


• Canned Chili


• Diced Tomatoes


• Rice and Brown Beans


• Peanut Butter & Jelly


• Granola Bars


• Oatmeal


• Applesauce


• Fruit Cups


• Raisins


• Shelf Stable Milk

Items not accepted

While the food bank appreciates all its contributions there are certain items that they cannot accept, like:

• Cans that are dented on the rim or have an expiration date of more than three years old.


• Jars with an expiration date of more than one year.


• Seafood.


• Home-made foods or foods with no nutritional label.


• Any open package.


• Energy drinks or products with alcohol.