Amy Cuellar assists Feeding Texas’ social services outreach program focused on providing education and application assistance for public benefits through the Texas food banks. Amy has 28 years of experience in social services with the State of Texas most recently as the HHS Community Partner Manager over Volunteer Services as well as the Community Partner Interviewing Project. She was also a part of the team that developed the Community Partner Portal.
For Immediate Release: 06/20/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Feeding Texas Network Backs Major Hunger-Fighting Wins During 2023 Legislative Session New laws will improve SNAP access and increase funding for emergency food distribution. TEXAS – With the support of the Feeding Texas network of food banks and anti-hunger champions across the state, the Texas Legislature passed several
This year’s legislative session was Feeding Texas’ most successful since Texas food banks came together as a network over 20 years ago to engage state lawmakers in the fight against hunger. With the support of food banks and anti-hunger champions across the state, the Texas Legislature passed several new laws that will prevent hunger for
Feeding Texas is partnering with Texas Health and Human Services’ Community Partner Program and local food banks to host SNAP and Medicaid renewal events across the state over the next few months. See below for the locations and dates of these events. This effort is to aid in the unwinding of the public health emergency
For Immediate Release: 05/03/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Feeding Texas Announces Farm Bill Priorities for 2023 Reauthorization Congress has an opportunity to strengthen our nation’s commitment to hunger relief. TEXAS – As federal lawmakers debate the future of the Farm Bill, the Feeding Texas network calls on our elected officials to reauthorize a bipartisan Farm Bill
Every five years, Congress gets an opportunity to strengthen our nation’s commitment to hunger relief via the Farm Bill. This rare moment in the legislative calendar guarantees a review of federal nutrition strategies like SNAP and food banks, which serve as the backbone of hunger relief in America. Here in Texas, we know we can
For Immediate Release: 04/05/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Texas Food Banks Ask Legislators to Implement Pre-Release SNAP Registration This simple policy change would fight hunger and reduce recidivism for formerly incarcerated Texans. TEXAS – The Feeding Texas network, made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state legislators to support hungry Texans
For Immediate Release: 03/22/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Texas Food Banks Urge Legislators to Fight College Hunger, Improve Graduation Rates 38% of students at two-year colleges experience hunger. TEXAS – The Feeding Texas network, made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state legislators to address hunger on college campuses today in
For Immediate Release: 03/08/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Texas Food Banks Call for Lawmakers to Update the SNAP Vehicle Asset Test More than 54,000 Texas households were denied SNAP due to the Vehicle Asset Test in 2022. TEXAS – The Feeding Texas network, made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state
For Immediate Release: 02/15/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Texas Food Banks Urge Legislators to Increase Funding for Surplus Ag Grant Investments in produce rescue will help food banks meet growing need. TEXAS – The Feeding Texas network, made up of 21 food banks across the state, is calling on state lawmakers to increase funding for the
For Immediate Release: 02/08/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Bipartisan Bill Allows Incarcerated Texans to Apply for SNAP Before Release This simple policy change would reduce recidivism for Texans leaving the criminal justice system. TEXAS – Feeding Texas is excited to announce bill authors for key legislation focused on supporting formerly incarcerated Texans as they reenter society.
For Immediate Release: 01/26/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org College SNAP Bill Would Help Low-Income Students Graduate Short-term food assistance can improve long-term economic outcomes for students. TEXAS – Feeding Texas is excited to announce bill sponsors for key legislation that would fight hunger on college campuses. Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) and Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston) have
Why are extra SNAP payments (Emergency Allotments) ending? Congress and the USDA gave states the option, starting early in the pandemic, to give SNAP households the maximum allotment of benefits for their household size, regardless of their income. Under normal rules, benefits are calculated based on household size, income, and expenses. States had to elect
For Immediate Release: 01/17/2023Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Bipartisan Bill Would Modernize the SNAP Vehicle Asset Test Car values have increased due to inflation, forcing hungry families off SNAP. TEXAS – With the 88th Texas legislative session underway, Feeding Texas is excited to announce bill sponsors for key legislation focused on the SNAP Vehicle Asset Test.
We can’t food bank our way out of hunger, which is why Feeding Texas advocates for public policies that help low-income Texans access affordable and nutritious food. Much of our nation’s policy response to hunger is decided at the federal level, by Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Although the next Congress will
For Immediate Release: 12/20/2022Contact: Wesley Storywstory@feedingtexas.org Food Banks Cheer Inclusion of Child Nutrition Investments in Omnibus Budget Bill Proposed funding would create a national summer EBT program. TEXAS – Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks, joins other advocacy groups to praise the inclusion of child nutrition investments in the year-end omnibus budget
This article was originally published on Beaumontenterprise.com on Nov. 18, 2022.Photo made Monday, December 20, 2021 Kim Brent/The Enterprise Written by: Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, and Harvey Zernial President and CEO of Southeast Texas Food Bank Finding common ground may be hard these days, but we can all agree that our grocery bills are higher
This article was originally published by USA Today on Nov. 18, 2022. Written by: Marc Ramirez These were supposed to be the relaxing years for Mercedes Bristol, a 68-year-old grandmother in San Antonio. Instead, she’s just picked up one grandchild from school and is on her way to pick up another in a car loaded
For Immediate Release: 11/16/2022Contact: Wesley Story, 972.999.5225or wstory@feedingtexas.org Feeding Texas Announces 2023 State Legislative Priorities Texas lawmakers can help fight hunger in the 88th legislative session. TEXAS – Bill filing begins this week for the 88th Texas Legislature. As state lawmakers begin introducing legislation, Feeding Texas calls on our elected officials to push for policy
Texans and food banks alike are facing tough times. Inflation is combining with supply chain squeezes to reduce the purchasing power of food banks and people facing hunger. As a result, food banks are experiencing a surge in the number of Texans seeking emergency food assistance. Food banks are responding as best they can to
About 1 in 5 Texas children – and 1 in 8 Texans overall – faced the threat of hunger in 2020, according to the newest data in Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap report. When the data is broken down by race and ethnicity, the numbers are even more stark. That year, 1 in
For Immediate Release: April 1, 2022 Contact: Celia Cole, 512-590-0659, ccole@feedingtexas.org This statement is attributable in whole or in part to Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, regarding the Texas Department of Agriculture’s announcement of $95M in capacity-building funds for food banks: “Food banks are an important layer of protection against hunger every day, and
This post was originally published on The Dallas Morning News Food banks have always grappled with supply chain problems. We will never forget that just over a year ago millions of Texans suffered from the winter ice storm that covered the state, causing many to lose electricity, hunt for water and sustain damage to their
Thanks to generous support from our donors and partners, Feeding Texas and the statewide network of food banks were able to feed hundreds of thousands of Texans during Winter Storm Uri. Over 56 MILLION MEALS were distributed in response to the winter storm via the Feeding Texas network! That’s a 25% increase during the weeks following the storm. Impact
One in eight Texas households struggled to avoid hunger between 2018 and 2020, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report released today. An average thirteen percent of Texas households experienced ‘food insecurity’ in that time period, meaning they faced hunger or engaged in coping mechanisms to avoid it. Data analyzed by Northwestern University during
The USDA announced a 27% increase to SNAP benefits for Texas residents, equivalent to $1.5B annually. Food banks welcomed USDA’s Monday announcement of a long overdue update to the calculation of federal food aid that will result in a 27% increase to SNAP benefits for Texas residents, equivalent to $1.5B annually. The Thrifty Food Plan,
Feeding Texas respectfully urges the Texas House to protect legal and fair access to the ballot box for Texans by opposing the passage of HB3. According to a 2020 analysis of voting records, eligible voters with incomes less than twice the federal poverty line routinely vote at a much lower rate than their higher-income peers.
SB 224 simplifies the SNAP certification and recertification requirements for households comprised of senior citizens or individuals with disabilities SB 224, authored by Texas State Senator Charles Perry and sponsored by Rep. Armando Walle, became law yesterday after being signed by Governor Greg Abbott. The legislation creates a simplified certification and recertification process for Supplemental
A team of 17 students from The University of Texas at Austin created a donation-based e-cookbook titled “A Taste of Austin Through the Lens of Sustainability” that showcases local restaurants and businesses focused on sustainability. The students make up this year’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CPD), a three-semester pre-professional program in nutritional sciences where those
Texans running low on food are finding empty grocery store shelves. Food pantries are running out of supplies. And the freeze has wiped out substantial portions of the state’s citrus and vegetable crops. This story was originally published in The Texas Tribune.Photo Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune The state’s week of weather hell started
The Biden Administration recently announced three executive actions that could significantly curb rising hunger in Texas, especially among children. Under these new orders: USDA will increase the value of the P-EBT program, which provides additional food-purchasing power to families whose children are missing free or reduced-price school meals while they are learning virtually at home. The administration
In his iconic speech at the 1963 March on Washington, Martin Luther King urged solidarity and perseverance in the fight for equality: “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back.” Despite the inspiration in his words, we can’t forget that King
More than 2.5 million households in Texas didn’t always have enough food to eat in November, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. About two-thirds of those households were either Hispanic or Black. This story was originally published in The Texas Tribune. Food banks across Texas are projecting food shortages in coming months due to the
Bipartisan legislation filed in advance of the 87th Texas Legislature would streamline access to nutrition assistance for Texas seniors and people with disabilities, according to advocates. The companion bills, filed in the House by Representative Armando Walle (D-Houston) and in the Senate by Senators Charles Perry (R-Lubbock) and Royce West (D-Dallas), would direct the Texas
The following statement is attributable in whole or part to Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas: “We are heartened to hear that Congress is back at the negotiation table to pass a COVID relief bill by the end of the year. Many Texas families are near the end of their rope. Unemployment benefits are expiring,
Thanks to the generous support of donors and partners, Feeding Texas and the statewide network of food banks were able to feed hundreds of thousands of Texans since the start of the COVID-19 economic downturn and make a commitment to be there for the long term with increased levels of support. Over 400 million pounds of
Attributable to Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas: Feeding Texas congratulates the projected winners of last Tuesday’s election across our state and nation. We celebrate the conclusion of an election season challenged by a global pandemic, an atypical voting process, and profound differences of opinion among voters. We celebrate Texas voters, especially the Texans served
The Texas Department of Agriculture slashed food bank funding by 44% today, despite record need related to the COVID-19 health crisis. The $1.9 million cut is to the Surplus Agricultural Product Grant, which helps food banks procure fresh produce from local growers. The cuts are aimed at satisfying a directive from the Governor to trim agency budgets
“This data makes it clear that the new normal of COVID-19 includes a significant increase in hunger…A modest, fifteen percent boost to SNAP while the pandemic continues would begin to counter this increase.” Photograph by Tamir Kalifa New research suggests food insecurity has doubled among Texas families on the four-month anniversary of Texas’ disaster declaration
Feeding Texas stands in solidarity with the Black community in calling for racial justice and mourning the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and the many others before them. We commit to learn from, and act with communities of color and other marginalized people to dismantle the systemic and structural racism that infects
Feeding Texas applauded USDA’s approval of a $1 Billion state plan to help some Texas families buy groceries during the health crisis. Households containing children up to 21 years old who received free or low-cost lunch at school this year will be eligible for the new Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program. Families will receive a one-time benefit of
USDA announced the details of a new, $3 Billion Coronavirus relief program for growers, producers, and families facing the economic effects of COVID-19. The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will deliver boxes of dairy, produce and meat through an open solicitation to local and regional food distributors, who must partner with food banks or other
Food banks and nutrition advocates urged Congress to adopt proposals strengthening SNAP this week as the need for food assistance continued to rise across the state. “Our food banks are being overwhelmed,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas. “We need to deploy every tool in our toolkit to address this crisis.” Proposals to
Demand for assistance from food banks is off the charts. But volunteers are staying at home, and grocery stores, which typically are key donors to pantries, are seeing their shelves depleted. This story was originally published in The Texas Tribune. Across the state, demand for assistance from food banks is off the charts as thousands
Feeding Texas, the statewide network of food banks, announced plans this week to address the potential for increased hunger resulting from the COVID-19 coronavirus. As the economic impacts of the virus begin to mount, we expect to see a rise in demand at food banks. Low-wage workers, who often live without health coverage and/or paid
Three recent proposals to change SNAP, the federal nutrition program — one of which was formally adopted in December — will worsen food insecurity in Texas and across the nation for the poorest among us. The Trump administration’s proposed changes would cut almost 4 million people from the program, while also reducing benefits for another
Today the White House unveiled a budget proposal that would slash spending on the needs of low-income Americans. The cuts include a $182 Billion reduction to SNAP, the nation’s largest nutrition assistance program. While unlikely to become law this year, this proposal signals the president’s priorities for the coming decade. Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding
At Feeding Texas, we aim to support the nutritional needs of every Texan whose circumstances prevent them from accessing enough food for a healthy life. This goal is particularly relevant for households with specific dietary needs; for example, those living with diabetes. November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. Nutritional management is critical for individuals living
October is the month of ghosts, pumpkins and eating way too much candy. Surprisingly, it is also National Vegetarian Month—a time to celebrate eating vegetables! A vegetarian is “a person who does not eat meat or fish and sometimes other animal products, especially for moral, religious, or health reasons” (WHRO 2015). There are also pescatarians,
Feeding Texas policy analyst Jamie Olson explains how the ‘public charge’ ruling affects low-income immigrant families. This story was originally published in the Dallas Observer. Immigration advocates across Texas are breathing a sigh of relief after a new rule targeting low-income immigrants was blocked in federal court. Three federal judges have issued nationwide preliminary injunctions
The report found that Texas’ food insecurity rate was higher than the national rate during the same time period. In raw numbers, nearly 1.5 million Texas households were food insecure, more than any other state except California.
