East Texas Food Bank

The East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) honored recipients with the seventh annual Hunger Hero Awards as part of Hunger Action Month.

Joe Palomino – Volunteer Hunger Hero Award

Joe Palomino received the Volunteer Hunger Hero Award. He has been with the Texarkana Resource Center as a volunteer since the facility opened in 2024. Palomino has volunteered over 1,100 hours and 400 shifts. “Joe embodies what it means to serve others,” said Shan Parks, Texarkana Resource Center Manager. “He steps in wherever he is needed.
Even when his own family faces challenges, he continues to show up with a smile and a servant’s heart. His dedication is a powerful example of the difference one person can
make in a community.”

Palomino says he was eager to volunteer when he saw the ETFB holding their firstdistribution in the parking lot of the Texarkana Resource Center while it was under construction. “I pulled in and said, ‘I want to help’ and they said sure we need all the help we can get and I have never stopped volunteering since that day,” said Palomino. “This is like my second family as I love working with the staff and other volunteers. My greatest joy is stopping hunger and helping people,” said Palomino.

Church on the Rock Texarkana – Community Partner Hunger Hero Award

Church on the Rock Texarkana received a Community Partner Hunger Hero Award. The church serves as an emergency food pantry and has been helping families for over 10 years and through their donations to the ETFB they have provided over 58,000 meals. Pastor Travis Jackson says their faith calls on the church to love and care for God’s people referring to Matthew 25:35-40 in the Bible.

“Church on the Rock partners with the East Texas Food Bank because we believe everyone deserves access to nutritious food and the opportunity to thrive,” said Pastor Travis Jackson. “The ETFB has a proven record of positively addressing food insecurity in our area and supporting families in need. This partnership allows us to live out our faith by helping
others and serving our community.”

ETFB presented the awards during Feeding America’s Hunger Action Month, held each year in September, to inspire the community to take action and bring attention to hunger in East
Texas and the nation. According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study, 1 in 6 East Texans including 1 in 4 children are hungry. This amounts to 232,940 adults including 83,090 children.