The Hays County Food Bank is a non-profit organization that provides food to those in need in Hays…read moreCounty and surrounding communities that are served by the San Marcos Consolidated ISD and Hays Consolidated ISD. I'm writing this review not as a Food Bank patron, but as a donor. Everyone hears about the food drives at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and gives a can or two of food here and there, or gives $1 or $5 at the checkout stand, but most don't realize the desperate plight of the food banks. It's easy to appreciate the services the food banks provide to the unemployed, the elderly, and the disabled. But, what most don't realize is that there is a new parasitic drain on the food banks that's gnawing away at their resources. Without turning this into a social commentary or political rant, let's just say it's all about the low-cost retail sector. Corporate employers that refuse to pay a living wage actually provide new employees the address of the food bank and how to apply for assistance as though it were one of their company's employment benefits. The net effect of this is that food bank resources are being stretched incredibly thin to compensate for these abuses. What can the Hays County Food Bank do with your contributions? Well, for $20, they can provide a needy Hays County family with a Thanksgiving meal, including a frozen turkey and all the trimmings. Or they can help the Women's Shelter. Or they help stock the Crisis Bread Basket in Wimberley, which recently saw devastating floods. The list goes on and on. Many benefit from this one, simple, unadorned food bank. In Hays County, 24,000 people are defined as "food insecure". Food insecure means one lives in hunger or fears starvation. In plain-speak, it means you don't know where your next meal is coming from. In the San Marcos CISD, 71% of students qualify for school lunch programs. Texas ranks #2 for food insecurity for those under 18 and #4 for those over 50. Charity begins at home. While there are starving children and adults all over the world, let's not forget that they also exist right under our noses in America. Please give to your local food bank, and give generously. No one should have to worry about where their next meal will be coming from. Not at Thanksgiving. Not at Christmas. Not ever.

Donated many times over the years, from checks before Thanksgiving to organizing food drives at…read morework. I've always found people helpful whether they're helping me carry bags in from my car or dropping off informational pamphlets to share. They have lots of drives throughout the year and opportunities to help out so you can find what's best for you, and there's lots of online information about distribution if you know anyone who needs help.