Odessa American- Food Bank slowly improving

Food bank slowly improving
November 04, 2011 8:01 PM
BY LYXAN TOLEDANES
FOOD FACTS :

The West Texas Food Bank is currently matching every dollar donated.

After a grueling summer of little food and bare shelves, West Texas Food Bank officials said the food bank and its partner agencies are slowly improving their situation as the holiday season approaches.

Paige Phelps, WTFB’s marketing and community relations director, said in an email that the food bank’s shelves are currently stocked with dry goods and will soon see a shipment on sweet potatoes and tomatoes, but perishable items, like meat, are running low.

Phelps said the food bank should have enough of a supply that would ideally last about four to six weeks, however, the current supply is enough for only two weeks.

But the situation doesn’t seem so dire compared to the difficult summer the food bank had, along with more than 170 of its partner agencies that span across 22 counties.

“Earl Graham (food bank coordinator) said that this is a HUGE improvement from the summer, because ‘our shelves were so bare then it was scary,’ ” Phelps wrote in an email.

Toward the end of August, Phelps said the empty shelves caused many partner agencies to be in danger of temporarily closing and several had to buy food in grocery stores, which is about a 20 percent price increase.

At the Boys and Girls Club of Odessa, which receives around 85 percent of their food from the WTFB, executive director David Chancellor said the club spent an extra $10,000 more this year on food at market price.

Chancellor said, because of the increased costs, the club, which provides meals throughout the summer and after school to around 600 kids, had to sacrifice some fresh items in meals.

“We’ve been unable to afford as much fresh fruit. This summer we did cut back on freshness or healthiness on our meals,” Chancellor said. “The healthier (option) is sometimes more expensive.”

As images of long lines of people waiting for food rippled through local media outlets, Phelps and other WTFB staff and volunteers reached out to communities and asked for help in donations.

In return, some community members showed overwhelming support, with Chuck Sturgeon of NC Sturgeon Construction and an anonymous donor giving matching donations of $11,500 each to fund the purchase of a semi-truck filled with 42,000 pounds of frozen chicken in August.

“To me, it’s always been an awareness thing. West Texas is such a generous community. Once they realize there’s a problem, they’re going to step up and help,” Phelps said. “It’s been heartwarming, but it’s a long way to go.”

But the goal of feeding more of West Texas’ hungry bellies doesn’t seem so far away as the food bank’s monetary and food donations increase throughout the holiday season.

“This is just the time of year people start to think about (donating),” Phelps said. “Hungry kids at Christmas time is something you don’t want to have in your community; and people know that and want to help.”

WTFB got a head start for the rest of their 2011-2012 fiscal year with their annual Culinary Canvas fundraiser. Held in October, the event raised a revenue of $104,546, nearly twice as much as the 2010 total revenue of $53,297.

The food bank also received a hefty donation from San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp., which gave a donation of $56,361.82, equaling 225,447 meals. Each $1 donated is about four meals.

New donors will also have the chance to make their dollar count as the Abell-Hanger Foundation of Midland matches donations for every dollar, up to $75,000, that the food bank receives through May 2012. Monetary donations help make purchases for perishable goods.

“We want to frontload our budget and get in as many donations and cans as we can, because people do forget about us once summer hits, and that’s the hungriest time of the year,” Phelps said. “We’ve been doing well with large donations, it’s just a matter of making sure we’re efficient with that money.”

To make the most of their money during the holiday season, the food bank is teaming up with its agencies to provide those in need with $10 vouchers, which are checks that can be used to buy a turkey in the grocery store.

“It’s better on our budget, and it’s better for the local economy, sending them to local stores,” Phelps said. “It’s a good deal. With turkeys, the closer you get to Thanksgiving, the cheaper they are.”

Margaret Burton, Meals on Wheels executive director, said the vouchers are also a good way for people to get exactly what they want. Though most of the 450 Meals on Wheels clients are homebound, Burton said she is planning on purchasing around 40 vouchers for those who can venture to the grocery store.

“Most women and men like to pick out their own groceries. They will be able to purchase exactly what they need,” Burton said. “This will be a very good arrangement for them to think that someone cares enough to go to this trouble of making the arrangements with the grocery stores.”