East Texas Food Bank Recognizes Hunger Hero Award 2026 Recipients
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.”
Corporate Partner-Southwestern Electric Power Company Foundation
Southwestern Electric Power Company Foundation received a Corporate Partner Hunger Hero Award.
“SWEPCO has been a great partner in helping with our Longview Resource Center and other programs,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “Through our relationship with SWEPCO their donations have provided over 2.1 million meals. Their support allows us to serve more people, provide more meals, and make a lasting difference for families who are struggling. Together we are strengthening our community and offering hope to our neighbors when they need it most.”
Community Partner- Marvin Methodist Church
Marvin Methodist Church has supported the mission of the ETFB since the non-profit opened its doors in 1988 and has provided over 872,000 meals.
“As Methodists, we advocate our role in the community to be ones who care and support our community in a number of ways including feeding the hungry,” said Shannon Pogue, Marvin Methodist Church Director of Missions Engagement and Local Missions. “In John 21, Jesus commands us to ‘Feed my lambs. Take care of my sheep. And feed my sheep.’ And while we strive to feed our community on the teachings of the love and grace of Christ, we also take that directive literally to care of and feed our neighbors. We have been blessed as a congregation to support the ETFB for many years with our donations of time and service as well as our food drives and financial donations. We stand boldly with our community partners and strive to make our community better for all.”
Individual Hunger Hero Award- Lauren Hogan
Lauren Hogan,38, volunteered with her dad Mike Hogan at the ETFB Tyler Resource Center while battling stage 4 colon cancer. She said volunteering gave her a renewed sense of hope and strength.
“Lauren and her dad stocked shelves with food, packed produce, and filled the freezers,” said Emerson. “They worked side by side, serving their community and helping make sure families facing hunger had food on their tables. It is with tremendous honor and deep admiration that we posthumously present a Hunger Hero Award to Lauren Hogan.”
Lauren lost her battle with cancer in September 2025, but her dad still volunteers each week.
AARP Lufkin – Community Partner Hunger Hero Award
“We are incredibly thankful to AARP for their support of our mission in Lufkin,” said Tim Butler, Chief Development Officer of the East Texas Food Bank. “For several years, AARP has helped us connect with dedicated volunteers who play an essential role at the Deep East Texas Resource Center. Volunteers are the heart of so much of what we do at the East Texas Food Bank, and we are especially grateful for the experience, compassion, and commitment that senior volunteers bring to serving their neighbors. Their willingness to give their time helps us keep our shelves stocked, strengthen our operations and, most importantly, ensure that more people in our community have access to the food they need.”
The Pineywoods Foundation – Community Partner Hunger Hero Award
“The Pineywoods Foundation has been a steadfast partner of the Deep East Texas Resource Center for the past five years, helping provide more than 357,000 meals to individuals and families in need,” added Butler. “Their continued generosity has made a meaningful and lasting difference for our neighbors in Angelina County and surrounding communities. Support like this allows us to put nutritious food on the table, offer hope to families facing difficult circumstances and ensure that no neighbor has to face hunger alone.”
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.
