Day: October 1, 2021

Hunger Hero Awards announced for second year

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    Hunger Hero Award Recipient Green Acres Baptist Church in Tyler

To recognize the continued outpouring of support from the community during the East Texas Food Bank’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ETFB honored four recipients with the 2nd annual Hunger Hero Awards.

Hunger Hero Awards were given to Green Acres Baptist Church (Community Partner Organization), Mr. & Mrs. Herb and Melvina Buie (Individual Supporter), John Soules Foods, Inc. (Corporate Partner) and the Louis & Peaches Owen Family Foundation (Foundation Partner).

“We are excited and honored to present this year’s Hunger Hero Awards to recipients who have shown a great amount of support, especially in the past year as we’ve continued to distribute record amounts of food,” said Dennis Cullinane, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “They really exemplify the kindness and generosity of our community and the commitment needed in the fight against hunger.”

The awards were given during Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month. The awareness month, held each September, works to inspire community to take action and bring attention to the reality of hunger in East Texas and across the nation.

“One thing that motivates me is that we want to help 26 counties, 200 agencies reach over 30 million pounds of food to the hungry in our East Texas area,” said Herb Buie. “I want to see that happen with the great performance of the East Texas Food Bank.”

Hunger impacts people in every corner of the country, including 239,800 people, 85,450 of which are children, right here in East Texas. This amounts to 1 in 5 East Texans, including 1 in 4 children.

“We feel it is important to give back to the community that has given so much to us,” said John Soules Jr., Co-CEO of John Soules Foods, Inc. “We are honored to be awarded in this way and continue to pledge our support to the East Texas Food Bank for years to come.”

“Hunger continues to be a crisis in East Texas. While the fight against hunger is ongoing- together, we can feed hope for our neighbors in need,” Cullinane said.

10 Tips to Be Active Adults

Be Active Adult

Being physically active is important for your health. Adults who are physically active are less likely to develop some chronic diseases than adults who are inactive. Physical activity is any form of exercise or movement of the body that uses energy. People of all ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities can benefit from a physically active lifestyle.

  1. Start activities slowly and build up over time
    If you are just starting physical activity, build up slowly. This will help to prevent injury. After a few weeks, increase how often and how long you are active.
  1. Get your heart pumping
    For health benefits, do at least 2½ hours each week of physical activity that requires moderate effort. A few examples include brisk walking, biking, swimming, and skating. Spread activities over the week, but do them at least 10 minutes at a time.
  1. Strength-train for health muscles and bones
    Do strengthening activities twice a week. Activities that build strength include lifting weights, doing push-ups and sit-ups, working with resistance bands, or heavy gardening.
  1. Make active choices throughout the day
    Every little bit of activity can add up and doing something is better than nothing. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, go for a 10-minute walk on your lunch break, or park further away from work and walk.
  1. Be active your way
    Mix it up—there are endless ways to be active. They include walking, biking, dancing, martial arts, gardening, and playing ball. Try out different activities to see what you like best and to add variety.
  1. Use the buddy system
    Activities with friends or family are more enjoyable than doing them alone. Join a walking group, attend fitness classes at a gym, or play with the kids outside. Build a support network—your buddies will encourage you to keep being active.
  1. Set goals and track your progress
    Plan your physical activity ahead of time and keep records. It’s a great way to meet your goals.
  1. Add on to your active time
    Once you get used to regular physical activity, try to increase your weekly active time. The more time you spend being physically active, the more health benefits you will receive.
  1. Increase your effort
    Add more intense activities once you have been moderately active for a while. You can do this by turning a brisk walk into a jog, swimming or biking faster, playing soccer, and participating in aerobic dance.
  1. Have fun!

Physical activity shouldn’t be a chore. It can help you feel better about yourself and the way you live your life. Choose activities that you enjoy and that fit your lifestyle.

For more healthy tips, follow us on Facebook. For recipes visit etfbrecipes.org.

The tips featured in this blog post were developed by the USDA. For more information, visit myplate.gov.