When school's out, rural Texas towns struggle to feed their hungry kids
Clara Crawford tapped the horn three times. Seconds later, two young boys ran down the steps of their house, their mother waving goodbye from the porch. Each summer, most days of the week, the 86-year-old Crawford drives a 1995 Ford cargo van 35 miles to gather up about 20 hungry children in Fairview, an unincorporated community in Rusk County, and the neighboring city of Reklaw. She takes them to a program she runs at a local community center where they can play basketball in the hot sun and get a full lunch plus a snack. Read more
Texas has more kids eligible for free summer meals. Why is the state feeding fewer?
When Evelyn Delgado saw a banner outside her daughter's Houston school advertising free breakfasts and lunches this June, she figured it was an opportunity to give her 7-year-old good food and a chance to get out of the house.
Delgado used to work at a local Fiesta Mart and leave her two kids with a babysitter, before she realized that paying the sitter was eating up her paltry wages. Now a stay-at-home mom with a husband who works in maintenance, she said the summer program helps feed her kids, who are eligible for free meals during the school year. Read more
Walmart donates $100,000 to food bank's Mobile Pantry
Walmart Foundation presented a $100,000 check to the East Texas Food Bank on Friday at the Walmart Supercenter in Marshall. "For too many people across East Texas, living with hunger is simply a way of life," said Kellie Duhr, Walmart's director of Public Affairs. "That's why our Walmart team is pleased to present this grant to the East Texas Food Bank and help continue the fight against hunger across the region. Read more