By Craig Stoker
In 2015 the West Texas Food Bank (WTFB) moved into a brand new distribution center in Odessa. At the time our output was around 3.7 million pounds of food a year. We had steady growth into FY 2020, when WTFB distributed around 6.7 million pounds of food. With the heightened need due to the pandemic, in FY 2021, WTFB distributed around 13 million pounds of food. We are still experiencing an elevated need, in fact over 3,000 new clients were served last month. Every program we offer is seeing increases. Our Senior Box program served 2,002 last month and we are on a waiting list. The Kids Café sites are serving over 500 school ages children a day.
With COVID becoming smaller in our rearview mirror, we are settling in to what we are reluctantly calling our new normal. We have seen our communities come together in times of crisis and we still cannot believe how lucky we are to live in a place where we value our neighbors and take care of our own.
With the recent water crisis in Odessa, many were forced to experience what some face daily, the lack of a basic necessity like water. While merely an inconvenience for most citizens, at the West Texas Food Bank it is common to serve those who are struggling with much more than just a dried-up tap.
Since the beginning of June, we have seen our pantry lines steadily grow longer. We continue to see our neighbors making tough choices like putting gas in the car or putting food on the table. For some, these painful choices are part of a daily reality that they cannot make ends meet with the rising cost of inflation.
The price at the pump and the cost of groceries is something that affects us all. Nobody is immune to the current effects of rising inflation. Prices for common items like bacon, eggs, and coffee have skyrocketed 20% or more. For those who are budgeted down to the last dollar, they cannot absorb the cost. Most choose to go without, because food is always something you can cut from the family budget.
But what about those who have no choice, the children and elderly of our communities? How do those without the flexibility in their budgets continue to survive when filling up the gas tank to get to work takes the last of the money? They turn to the West Texas Food Bank and our network of partner agencies.
With the generous support of people like you and our Summer Match campaign, your donations can be doubled. We are so grateful to our friends at the Wayne and JoAnne Moore Charitable Foundation for matching all donations up to $100,000.
History has proven that at our greatest time of need, the most beneficial way to support the Food Bank is through a monetary donations. We understand that many of you who have supported us in the past are facing your own struggles, but your donations of time are simply invaluable to the mission of the Food Bank.
We hope that you will take this opportunity to have your donation matched and to help twice as many neighbors who are struggling to put food on their tables. Your unwavering support is humbling, and the team at the West Texas Food Bank will continue to serve our 19 counties with dignity and pride thanks to your support.
Craig Stoker is Director of Marketing and Communications at West Texas Food Bank.
