CVCAA Helps 'Feed the Funnel"
Members of our staff recently joined the efforts of hundreds of volunteers in San Angelo for a massively successful "Feed the Funnel" event. Together we packaged over 72,000 meals to be distributed by dozens of area food banks!
Our team donned bright orange shirts, sang along to catchy tunes, and made hair nets look good as we worked alongside our San Angelo neighbors at this huge event. Teams of four used funnel systems to fill bags with rice, beans, and tasty spices while additional team members weighed, sealed, and packed the completed bags.
These bags, which can feed a family of four, will be distributed to food banks across the concho valley to help feed our neighbors as we head into the end of the year. What’s great about these meals is that they are nutritionally dense, filling, and easy to prepare with just some water, a pot, and a heating source. Also, because they are shelf stable, they can be distributed to our homeless neighbors who don’t have access to refrigeration.
In the Concho Valley, 12.7% of our community faces food insecurity, but many of those individuals make just over the income limits to receive assistance through the SNAP program. To qualify, an individual cannot make more than $21K per year, which is less than the minimum living wage considering the high costs of living in our area. Additionally, nearly 40% of our community lives more than half a mile away from a supermarket. For some of the more rural areas of the Concho Valley, the only food access is a gas station or convenience store, leaving residents with few options. Food banks provide a lifeline for our community, providing nutritious food to thousands in our community.
Hunger is an ongoing issue. We ask you to join us November 12th – 20th for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week. Our agency will be bringing awareness to the real issues of food insecurity and the lack of available housing in our community.
Follow along with us on Facebook to learn more about the needs of our community. And if, like us, you know that together we can find real solutions, please visit us here to see ways that you can impact your community. CVCAA is committed to working with our area partners to continue finding ways to help our neighbors and working toward our goal of a self-sufficient community.