Funviralpark The Hayes County Food Bank of San Marcos has received quite a few Christmas presents this year. The county raised him $1.2 million to rush construction of the much-needed new facility.
Constructed on South Lymer Avenue in San Marcos, the building will replace a dilapidated facility on Herndon Street. The current food bank headquarters is too small to meet the needs of the program, which has exploded in recent years as Hayes County’s population surges.
Eleanor Owen, Executive Director of Hays County Food Bank, said:
The Hays County Commissioner’s Court voted Tuesday to approve $1.2 million in funding for the American Rescue Plan to go to a new food bank. Dollars are used for construction.
The current food bank is a 2,200-square-foot building in a residential neighborhood. The program has called it home since 1996. The small building contains warehouses, office space, freezer coolers, and no parking for food distribution events.
And 18-wheelers that routinely deliver food aren’t suitable for food delivery because it’s unsafe to drive in residential neighborhoods, Owen said.
“We usually clog neighborhoods, block traffic, and use all sorts of things that make it inconvenient for large-scale distribution,” says Owen.
The new foodbank will be built on donated land on South Lymer Avenue. Across the street are a variety of social services including Any Baby Can and special nutritional programs for women, infants and children.
Owen envisions the program having space for all perishables and perishables that need to be stored regularly to serve the community, as well as space for on-site distribution events. But she plans to continue with distribution events throughout the county to ensure the program reaches as many Hayes residents as possible.
The Hays County Food Bank has already served more than 141,000 people and distributed more than 1 million pounds of food in 2022 alone, according to the organization. This need has grown exponentially in recent years, especially as COVID and inflation have increased the number of people considered food insecure.
Food banks have seen a 42% increase in the number of individuals served since 2018 and a 15% increase since 2020, Owen said.
“Our community is thriving, but there are still food insecurity and poverty here and people who need our help,” she said.
Newly re-elected county judge Ruben Becerra also serves as the county’s emergency management officer. He said the $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan funding is a way to “lean” on the food insecurity challenges facing the county as it continues to grow at a record pace. .
“Public health and public safety are top priorities for county governments, and it all starts with making sure people have food,” said Becerra. “We have a real desire and commitment to ensure that our growing population has access to all these services.”
While $1.2 million won’t be enough to fund the new facility, it will revitalize the organization’s capital campaign, Owen said.
Owen knows that the county’s donation “encourages the community to embrace this” and is committed to building a better food bank for the community.
“We are serious about this and we are happy with it,” she said.
Annie Blanks writes for Express-News through Report for America. This is a national service her program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. [email protected].
