Thank you to everyone who participated in the 20th annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive. As part of the nation’s largest single-day food drive, generous Central Texans and U.S. letter carriers delivered hunger relief by providing more than 105,000 pounds of food this past Saturday.

Letter carriers and volunteers were also on hand at H-E-B stores in Austin to receive donations.

Our volunteers are busy inspecting and sorting donations so we can get them out as quickly as possible to our Partner Agencies.  There’s still time to help! Sign up online for a volunteer shift.

Summer is a special time at H-E-B because your dollar can do much more than simply purchase grocery items.  Your dollar can take on special powers – to uplift families, make the summer joyful for children, and give hope to older adults in times of need.

Look for the $1, $3, and $5 tear off coupons at the register to transform your regular ol’ dollar into a hunger-fighting dollar.  Simply choose the amount you want to donate, and it will be added to your final grocery bill.

Donations at Austin-area stores will help nourish hungry Central Texans in your community and every dollar really adds up. Last year $75,000 was raised, enabling us to provide 187,500 meals.

A special thank you goes to our long-time partner, H-E-B for their sustained commitment and partnership in the fight against hunger.

In Central Texas, summertime means hot days spent cooling off at our favorite swimming holes, family vacations, and backyard cookouts.  For too many families, summer time is a financially difficult time of year, with rising gasoline prices and soaring electricity bills stretching budgets to their limits. Worse, many young children will not have access to free and reduced price lunches through the public schools, leaving their parents to struggle to meet that nutritional gap when their household budgets are already so fragile.

At the Capital Area Food Bank, we believe no child should go hungry. That is why we are launching our Summer Meals That Matter campaign.  Join us by helping us meet our goal of raising 500,000 nutritious meals to ensure that children, families and older adults have the food they need all summer long.

Please help us spread the word and donate today.

Help others eat their vegetables.   If you’ve grown to love corn, beets, or spinach as an adult, your mom may have had something to do with it.  Spread the love by filling your Stamp Out Hunger Bag with healthy foods, including canned vegetables.  Mom always said to eat a balanced meal, so  we’re sure she would approve if you threw in some tuna, beans, rice or soup to the mix.   Leave a bag or two of food at your mailbox on Saturday morning , and letter carriers will ensure the food gets into the hands of hungry Central Texans.  You can also drop off your donation at these Austin Area H-E-B stores:

Westlake 701 South Capital of Texas Highway, West Lake Hills, TX
Brodie 6900 Brodie Lane, Austin, TX
Pleasant Valley 1820 Pleasant Valley, Austin, TX
Braker 10710 Research Blvd, Austin, TX 78759

Give a gift that won’t make her smile through gritted teeth. Avoid the bad gift syndrome this year by getting your online gift through shopCAFB.com.  So, even if mom doesn’t love that  “Cougar Mom” coffee mug, she will appreciate that you used shopCAFB.com, which supports the Capital Area Food Bank’s efforts to provide meals for families in need.

Help other moms in need. Mother’s Day is not just about thanking your mom, but also honoring the often difficult and thankless role of motherhood.  Our four-part series  “A Mother’s Hunger”  highlights the struggles low-income mothers face in Central Texas and around the nation.  What better way to acknowledge the sacrifices your mom has made, than by making an online gift in honor or memory of your mother.   With your gift, we can provide mothers who come to us in their time of need with nutrition support, education, and access to vital social service programs like SNAP and the Summer Meals program.