The East Texas Food Bank has 200 partner agencies throughout the 26 counties that it provides with food that they then give to their neighbors and are developing partnerships for other services. The organization provided 27,092,000 meals to hungry people and served 117,300 households in 2022.

East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) celebrated Hunger Action Month by presenting Hunger Hero Awards to individuals, organizations, corporations and ministries on Wednesday.

“That’s a time when we highlight the food insecurity in our communities and make national awareness of people in need and what we’re doing to address it. Today, in particular, was the Hunger Hero Awards,” East Texas Food Bank CEO David Emerson said. “We honor some of the corporations and ministry partners, school partners that have stepped up and kind of gone above and beyond helping address that insecurity in our communities.”

There were plenty of qualified candidates, but part of choosing entities to award is looking at how much they’ve invested.

Robert Nichols, Senate District 3 Texas Senator, was awarded as an individual supporter. Nichols was paramount in advancing legislation and funding for food banks during the 88th Texas legislative session that will help alleviate food insecurity across the state.

Tyler High School and Tyler Legacy High School were named the community partner organization. For 33 years, students have participated in their fundraiser for ETFB’s BackPack program by raising funds and food with the annual Pantry Raid.

Datamax Inc. received the corporate partner award. The corporation regularly volunteers with the ETFB and gives monetary donations. They also ensure their customers know about our programs by giving out information on their voicemail.

“It’s definitely a very critical time right now, with a lot of people struggling for food, water and supplies in general,” Datamax President David Rhodes said. “It’s our little way of trying to help that situation. I think more and more corporations need to be involved with our own people here in the United States that are struggling.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints received the ministry partner award. The church provided dozens of volunteers during an emergency food drive after the ice storm power outages in Smith County this year. Church members also volunteer every week. In addition, the church donated 42,000 pounds of food to ETFB.

“They are a great organization that we partnered with, that allows us to serve in meaningful ways,” Tyler Stake President Charles Rhodus said. “Members of the church in all the counties of East Texas, as well as our full-time missionaries, go and serve through this organization.”

Media specialist Jill Taylor said one of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints tenets is to do as Jesus would do within the community.

“As we strive to follow Jesus Christ, our efforts at the East Texas Food Bank can help do that in the community,” Taylor said.

Community partners’ work directly impacts the community, especially considering inflation.

“We’re serving more meals now or giving out more food than we did during the pandemic – 20% more,” Emerson said. “The need seems to be maintaining constant if not going up with inflation. And so there’s just so many of our neighbors, our schoolmates, people that we work with, that are in need. There are seniors having to choose between, do I buy my medicine or do I buy food.”

The ETFB has 200 partner agencies throughout the 26 counties that it provides with food that they then give to their neighbors and are developing partnerships for other services.

From Rains and San Augustine to Red River and Houston counties, the organization provided 27,092,000 meals to hungry people and served 117,300 households in 2022.

This event marks the fourth year the ETFB has given Hunger Hero Awards, and they’re already gearing up for next year’s awards. The food bank expects to add new partners as it expands into the 26 counties within its reach.

“Here’s more people that [are] deserving of this recognition as well,” Emerson said. “They don’t do it for recognition. We all know they do it to give back to their communities.”