More than 200 nonprofit human service agencies in 26 counties in East Texas receive much of their food from the East Texas Food Bank warehouse located in Tyler. These agencies provide assistance in an emergency in the form of bags of groceries to take home or hot meals served in a soup kitchen or group home. Others provide meals to their clients as part of a residential treatment program.

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 Types of Agencies who get their food from the Food Bank include:

• Emergency food pantries

• Soup kitchens

• Homeless shelters

• Crisis centers

• Residential treatment programs

• Low-income day care centers

• Youth activity programs

• Disaster relief agencies

• Other nonprofit agencies that provide food to clients in need.

See a list of East Texas Food Bank Agencies listed by county.

How Does the Food Bank Work?

Each member agency places an order from a weekly shopping list of available products and then picks up the food at the Food Bank warehouse, or it is delivered to them via a rural delivery route. The agency stocks its pantry shelves with food from the Food Bank and then, in turn, directly provides the food to individuals and families. Some agencies cook meals at their site, providing hot, nutritious food for people in need. In addition to food and grocery products, the Food Bank provides training in safe food handling and sanitation for agency staff and volunteers. Nutrition information is furnished through a weekly newsletter and quarterly meetings.

What Does All This Cost?

Member agencies pay a handling fee of 1¢ to 16¢ per pound for some of the food they receive. The shared maintenance fee helps defray the East Texas Food Bank cost to transport the food and store it in freezers and coolers.

Each year, member agencies save millions of dollars by using the East Texas Food Bank. Money saved can be used to shelter, treat, train, counsel, protect, educate, rehabilitate, house, and comfort more individuals and families.

For information concerning East Texas Food Bank agencies e-mail Kirk Goodman or Irene Howard, our Agency Services specialists.