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.

The East Texas Food Bank will hold the third annual Longview versus Tyler peanut butter competition in September as part of Hunger Action Month.

“Each city will collect jars of peanut butter for the East Texas Food Bank’s pantry partners,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Peanut Butter is nutritious, kid-friendly, and high in protein and a food item that most East Texans keep in stock. We hope residents of both cities participate to help us fill the shelves of our pantry partners in Longview and Tyler.”

Jars will be collected this month through September 24 in ETFB food boxes in Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods and FRESH locations in both Tyler and Longview.

Donors can also buy jars of peanut butter online at EastTexasFoodBank.org/pbdrive. Funds will go towards food purchases in the respective communities.

Hunger Action Month is held every September as part of Feeding America’s initiative to bring awareness about food insecurity in our communities. In East Texas, 1 in 6 adults and 1 in 4 children are hungry.

“Last year, East Texans collected over 8,0000 pounds of peanut butter that helped us stock our shelves all year long,” said Emerson. “When you are shopping for your groceries, please buy some extra peanut butter and drop in the boxes at participating locations or go to our website and buy virtual peanut butter without ever leaving your home to help support ETFB.”

If your business collects peanut butter, please bring it to a store location in your area by September 24 or drop off large quantities of peanut butter at the ETFB in Tyler or the Longview Resource Center during normal business hours.

Stores participating include:

• Brookshire’s – 2020 Roseland Blvd in Tyler
• Brookshire’s – 2734 E. 5th St. in Tyler
• Brookshire’s – 100 Rice Rd in Tyler
• FRESH by Brookshire’s – 6991 Old Jacksonville Hwy in Tyler
• Super 1 Foods – 1105 E Gentry Pkwy in Tyler
• Super 1 Foods – 113 NNW Loop 323 in Tyler
• Super 1 Foods – 3828 Troup Hwy in Tyler
• Super 1 Foods – 172 Centennial Pkwy in Tyler
• Brookshire’s – 3354 Gilmer Rd in Longview
• Super 1 Foods – 1217 E Marshall Ave in Longview
• Super 1 Foods – 1800 S High St in Longview
• Super 1 Foods – 2301 W Loop 281 in Longview
• FRESH by Brookshire’s- 3121 N. Eastman Rd. in Longview

Tyler won the competition in the first year and Longview won last year. Weekly results will be posted on the ETFB social media and web site, so each city can see how they are doing in the peanut butter competition. Jars of peanut butter will be weighed to determine the winner and will be announced on Monday, September 28.

The East Texas Food Bank is a finalist nominee in the Southwest region for Chick-fil-A’s True Inspiration Award.

“We are so excited that the ETFB was nominated for this award and we hope all of East Texas will vote for us this month,” said Tim Butler, ETFB Chief Development Officer. “The grants range between $30,00-$200,000 so it would be amazing if we were able to win one of these grants to help with our mission of fighting hunger and feeding hope in the 26 counties we serve in East Texas. Every donated dollar helps us serve five meals to our neighbors in need.”

To vote for the ETFB simply download the Chick-fil-A App, click on For You, vote now, select the Southwest region and vote for ETFB.  Voting is open until September 30 with the winners being announced in 2027. Only one vote per Chick-fil-A App account.

The True Inspiration Awards® programs was created in 2015 to honor the legacy of Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy. Through these annual grants, nonprofit organizations have been supported with over $40 million to organizations all around the world. To learn more visit chick-fil-a.com

TYLER, Texas, Aug. 26, 2026 – Poppies® Mandarins and Feeding America® are helping families turn everyday moments into opportunities to give back through Grown to Share. As families settle into new routines for the school year, Poppies is inviting shoppers to share a little sweetness and support neighbors facing food insecurity.

Now through mid-September, participating Brookshire Grocery Co. stores across East Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas will carry specially marked Poppies Grown to Share bags. Shoppers are encouraged to scan the QR code on the package to “share a little sweetness.” Every scan helps unlock a Poppies-funded donation of at least 10 meals through the Feeding America® network of local partner food banks. Through this regional activation, Poppies expects to help provide up to 450,000 meals for families facing hunger.

On Aug. 25, representatives from Poppies and Brookshire Grocery Co. came together at the East Texas Food Bank, where 34 volunteers packed more than 5,700 food packs for children heading back to school across East Texas. Poppies also made a $10,000 donation to support the organization’s efforts to help local families start the school year strong

“Children notice the little things we do every day,” said Julie Dunmire, Director of Marketing for Kings River Packing. “We love that choosing a lunchbox favorite can become a simple act of sharing. Through Grown to Share, families can make an impact with a scan, and we’re proud to partner with Brookshire Grocery Co. and Feeding America to make that possible.”

To learn more about Grown to Share, find participating locations and help unlock meals for families in need, visit https://poppies.kingorange.com.

About Poppies Mandarins

Poppies Mandarins are grown with care to deliver bright, juicy flavor and effortless enjoyability. Naturally segmentable and rich in vitamin c, Poppies inspire small moments of joy, connection, and sharing—making everyday life a little sweeter. Poppies is a proud brand of Kings River Packing, LP, a family-owned company that has been growing citrus in California’s San Joaquin Valley for over eight generations. As growers, packers, and shippers, the founding family continues to oversee operations across the business to ensure the highest quality fruit reaches consumers. Learn more at www.kingorange.com or follow @KingsRiverPacking on social media.

(TYLER, Texas) – Five East Texas nonprofit organizations have been selected to receive grants totaling $300,000 through the CHRISTUS Community Impact Fund (CHRISTUS Fund), supporting programs that improve the health and well-being of local communities. The recipients in the CHRISTUS Trinity Mother Frances Health System region are Sulphur Springs-based Carevide, East Texas Food Bank, Tyler-based Family Circle of Care, Hope Haven of East Texas and PATH (People Attempting to Help).

The organizations were recognized during the Blessing of the Hands ceremony on Aug. 25, an annual CHRISTUS Health tradition that celebrates the healing ministry of its Associates while recognizing community partners who share the organization’s mission of serving those most in need.

“The CHRISTUS Community Impact Fund is one of the many ways we live out our mission beyond the walls of our hospitals and clinics,” said Jessica Guerra, program manager for community development at CHRISTUS Health. “These organizations are making a meaningful difference every day by improving access to essential services and creating healthier, stronger communities. Through reliable community partnerships, we are honored to support their work and help make care and services more accessible.” Hope Haven of East Texas serves the region by caring for children and families impacted by the foster care system who have suffered abuse, neglect, trauma, placement disruptions and the feeling of being overlooked as a result.

Jamie Sanders, Hope Haven’s executive director, says the CHRISTUS Fund grant will expand behavior health services for foster care youth and will aid in the creation of a community-wide training and education program designed to equip East Texans with information regarding foster care issues. “We are incredibly grateful to the CHRISTUS Fund for investing in the lives of foster children who have experienced significant trauma. Too many children in foster care carry the invisible wounds of abuse, neglect and trauma,” she said. “This grant allows Hope Haven to expand trauma-informed mental health services so that young people in foster care receive not only a safe place to live, but also the counseling, life skills and compassionate support they need to heal, grow and build brighter futures.”

The local grants are part of a broader investment by the CHRISTUS Fund, which will provide more than $3.5 million this year to 56 nonprofit organizations across Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Latin America. The grants support programs addressing some of the most pressing needs in the communities CHRISTUS serves, including food insecurity, access to healthcare and housing insecurity.

Since its launch in 2011, the CHRISTUS Fund has invested more than $29 million into communities served by CHRISTUS Health, strengthening partnerships with organizations that share the ministry’s commitment to improving the health and quality of life for those most in need.

About CHRISTUS Health
CHRISTUS Health is an international faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare system based in Irving, Texas, with more than 65 hospitals, over 2,500 employed physicians, and a health plan with more than 250,000 covered lives in Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Mexico. CHRISTUS Health is made up of 57,000 Associates providing compassionate and individualized care at more than 600 centers, including community hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities and health ministries. Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of Houston, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word of San Antonio and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, our mission is to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to every individual we serve. For more information, visit christushealth.org.