East Texas Food Bank receives donation to help with summer food program

JCLDS Donation

Thirty-eight thousand pounds of mixed goods will be delivered to The East Texas Food Bank, located at 3201 Robertson Road on Thursday, June 1 at 9 a.m. The 25 pallets of food weighing more than 38,000 pounds are being donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to help aid those families who suffer from food insecurity over the summer months.

The East Texas Food Bank has a 26-county service area and aids several smaller banks throughout the region. This donation will be a great asset to communities throughout East Texas trying to feed children while school is out.

In addition to this donation, the Church also regularly supports the ongoing mobile distributions through JustServe.org. The Church posts volunteer opportunities for the community in partnership with the bank to gather volunteers to pass food out to residents across East Texas. Members and missionaries of the Church are part of the core group of regular volunteers for the mobile distribution effort.

“We are committed to easing the burden of food insecurity across East Texas,” says President Charles Rhodus, who leads the Tyler Texas Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “In following Christ’s example of Jesus Christ in caring for those in need we are grateful for the opportunity to help our neighbors.”

The donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is part of its ongoing global effort to care for the hungry. The Church is committed to serving smaller, rural communities that may have difficulty getting food due to employment issues, inflation, and high cost of childcare.

This donation to East Texas Food Bank will help aid those in need of basic necessities. The donation of mixed canned and boxed goods will include vegetables, chili, fruit, beef, peanut butter, dried milk, as well as numerous other items.

“We are so thankful for this generous donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said Dennis Cullinane, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “We continue to see an increased need for food due to inflation and the end of extra pandemic SNAP benefits in Texas. This food will go a long way in helping us feed our neighbors.”

In May this year, the Church donated 38,000 pounds of food to Titus County Cares, in Mt. Pleasant, TX and in March donated to Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana. In 2020, the Church approved more than 100 relief projects in more than 50 countries to help with pandemic relief. Most of these humanitarian projects are done with trusted partners, such as The East Texas Food Bank, which allows the Church to use its resources in places where they can do the most good. The Church also made a sizeable food donation after the severe winter storms.

The East Texas Food Bank was selected based on its connection with the community, ongoing relief efforts, fantastic leadership, organized processes, and adequate unloading equipment. Because 25 pallets of food are scheduled for delivery on a 53-foot trailer, the selected site also needed space to store all of the goods. In addition, it was important for the Church to select a food bank that also serves smaller food banks without high charges or delivery fees.