Bea Hanson, executive director of the Food Bank of Corpus Christi (left) and Mayor Nelda Martinez get into the spirit of #spoontember to raise awareness of the one in six Americans struggling with hunger. Courtesy Photo
The Food Bank of Corpus Christi wants you to hang an orange colored spoon off the end of your nose and post it on the social media platform of your choice. It’s all in good fun and to raise awareness that one in six Americans struggles with hunger, said Bea Hanson, food bank executive director. One in four Americans goes to bed hungry, a focus of Hunger Awareness Month every September.
“Demand in our area is up,” Hanson said. “We have had such a demand this summer, with the kids out of school, that we are now trying to get more food. Our shelves are empty.”
Donations come in the form of cash or cans, she said. Much of the fresh fruits and vegetables come from H-E-B, Walmart, Sam’s, Sprouts and the Naval Base. Canned goods are mostly donated through food drives. Money is also used to transport donated food. For example, it recently cost $600 to bring in a truckload of donated fresh tomatoes from the Valley.
Twelve South Texas Dollar General stores are helping replenish the shelves by staging a month-long food drive. The stores are collecting canned goods from now until Oct. 1.
Also this month, the Corpus Christi public libraries are accepting non-perishable food donations in lieu of fines.
The Food Bank of Corpus Christi feeds 12,000 people every week, Hanson said. Yearly, that amounts to around 620,000, including people in areas from Falfurrias to George West, Three Rivers to Alice.
“We go all around,” Hanson continued. “And all donations are wonderful. You can call and donate with a credit card or go online at foodbankcc.com to donate on the web. Or even mail us a check.”
Any organization or individual wanting to help by hosting a food drive should contact Sylvia De La Cerda, administrative manager of the outreach program at 361-887-6291, ext. 107 or at sdelacerda@feedingamerica.org.
Meanwhile, post those #Spoontember selfies on your favorite social media platform. Be sure to add the haehtag: #spoontember.
