(1) Revolutionize the emergency food system through the strategic capture, handling, and distribution of food. (2) Increase enrollment in nutrition assistance programs. (3) Unite communities in the belief that hunger is unacceptable, and mobilize people to act on this principle through advocacy, philanthropy, and volunteerism. Through these initiatives, the Central Texas Food Bank will reduce hunger in our community and create a successful model to share with other food banks across the nation.

We fight hunger the Central Texas way. Our programs and services are uniquely designed to serve our neighbors in the ways they need most. Fresh Food For FamiliesFresh Food For Families provides free monthly distributions of fruits, vegetables and other fresh foods to low-income families. These distributions supplement existing grocery budgets with much-needed nutritious foods. Healthy Options Program for the ElderlyThe mission of the Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (HOPE) is to reduce hunger among low-income seniors age 55 or older by providing them with free monthly distributions of healthy, shelf-stable foods. Each month, HOPE clients receive a 15- to 20-pound bag of non-perishable groceries as nutritious additions to their existing diets. Kids Cafe®Kids Cafe serves as a direct partnership between the Food Bank and existing after-school programs to provide nutritious meals to low-income children who may not otherwise have access to healthy and balanced nutrition outside of school. Summer Food Service ProgramThe Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides nutritious lunches and snacks to children of low-income families who lack a dependable source of nutritious meals during summer breaks. BackPackBackPack is designed to meet weekend meal needs for children in low-income families. At the end of each week, participating children receive bags of healthy, nutritious, non-perishable meals that they take home with them and eat during the weekend. Mobile Food PantryBy taking the food directly to clients, our mobile food pantries fill geographic and service gaps in emergency food assistance by providing Central Texans in need with basic staples, fruits and vegetables, and frozen foods where local food assistance services cannot keep up with demand. CHOICESCHOICES is a nutrition education program that helps individuals and families make smart choices at mealtime. The classes help people eligible for SNAP (food stamps) make healthy food choices within a limited budget and choose active lifestyles. Social Services OutreachSocial services outreach provides one-on-one application assistance to families and individuals qualifying for SNAP (food stamp) benefits to help them move out of the hunger line. Disaster ReliefWhen the unthinkable happens, the Food Bank is prepared to respond. We work with Feeding America, the American Red Cross, federal and state agencies and other partners to provide direct food and water assistance, transportation of emergency supplies to affected areas and more. Food RescueThe Food Bank collects millions of pounds of wholesome, nutritious food—food that would otherwise be discarded—from local and national grocery store chains, manufacturers, distributors and farms and distributes it to low-income families.

In fiscal year 2014-2015, through our nearly 250 Partner Agencies and our distribution programs, the Central Texas Food Bank distributed almost 34 million pounds of food in a 21 county service area to an average of 46,000 clients each week. Fundraising: Individuals, companies, foundations and organizations made financial gifts to support our mission. Community events: From food drives at local schools, to the Austin Reggae Fest, the Central Texas Food Bank benefited from more than 1000 events. These included cause-related marketing events, food and fund drives, sponsored events. In Fiscal Year 204-2015, the community raised more than 1. 48 million pounds of food through community food drives. Volunteer engagement: Thousands of volunteers contributed 85,838 hours, the equivalent of 45 full-time staff members. Public policy: We advocate on behalf of those at risk of hunger. In partnership with Feeding America and the Texas Food Bank Network, we work together on the common agenda of introducing stakeholders and decision makers to the face of hunger in our community. Food distribution: In 2014-15, Food Bank trucks traveled more than 360,000 miles, the equivalent distance of driving around the world 14 times. Every day, the Food Bank distributed an amount of food equivalent to the weight of a Boeing 737 jet. Regional leadership: Fulfilling Central Texas Food Bank's mission to lead the community in ending hunger takes us far beyond Austin city limits, into urban and rural locations across 21 counties in Central Texas. Our 250 Partner Agencies are essential to helping us make an impact by delivering healthy nutritious food to their neighbors in need and connecting us to their communities. 95% of our partner food pantries say they could no longer serve clients if the Food Bank shut down tomorrowEfficiency and effectiveness: Every $1 donated provides 4 nutritious meals to Central Texas families. Our outstanding financial health, accountability and transparency have earned us a 4-star charity rating from Charity Navigator. We return more than 95 percent of all donated resources back into the community in the form of programs and services.

In June of 2016 the Central Texas Food Bank is relocating to a 135,000 square foot facility from our current 60,000 square foot space on South Congress. The new warehouse space has more than double the dry storage, and 7 times the cold storage, of our current facility. Last year, we distributed almost 34 million pounds of food, and still fell short of meeting the need. Capable of distributing over 70 million pounds of food, the new Food Bank will help us close the hunger gap in our community. We have seen a tremendous increase in the amount of fresh produce rescued and distributed, in 2014-2015 one third of the food that left our warehouse was fresh produce, meat and dairy. Our goal is for half of all food that leaves our doors to be fresh. While we still need shelf stable items, what clients increasingly ask for, and what our communities need, are fresh fruits and vegetables and high quality protein.

Food banks traditionally measure success based solely on the number of pounds of food distributed over the course of a year. the Food Bank has distributed millions of pounds of food to Partner Agencies over the years, and while that number is impressive, it does not measure the impact, or gauge the difference the food made in the lives of those who received it. The Food Bank strives to change the conversation from only pounds of food distributed, to the impact of that food on the lives of people at risk of hunger. The Central Texas Food Bank revised its target outcomes from feeding people in hunger lines to include reducing the number of people in those lines. In order to successfully accomplish this, the organization embarked on a journey to transform from a food bank into a hunger relief organization— moving beyond feeding hungry people to ending hunger in Central Texas. As part of this transformation, the Food Bank has:Bridged the distance between the traditional food bank and the client, focusing not only on warehousing and food resourcing, but also on assistance and distribution. Increased awareness of hunger and the Food Bank's work in order to increase donations and create action through advocacy, public policy and volunteerism. Incorporated cutting-edge technologies to identify and align Food Bank resources with the communities in greatest need. Established plans for a new and improved facility to capture, process and distribute more food to the hungry. Implemented the latest in warehousing best practices. The Food Bank's warehousing practices mirror those of large for-profit food distributors. Embraced social media to encourage discussion about ending hunger in Central Texas. The Food Bank maintains a blog and has an active presence on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. Continued to support and collaborate with 250 Partner Agencies in the shared goal to end hunger.