Galveston County Food Bank

Key Organizational Goals:
• Eradicate food insecurity in Galveston County
• Aid in reducing obesity, heart disease and diabetes among low income residents
• Play an integral role in aiding able-bodied residents in reaching self-sufficiency
• Play an integral role in aiding residents who are unable to work in living a healthy and secure lifestyle

Galveston County Food Bank Strategic Plan

Strategy 1: Establish a Nutritional Education component in all food bank programs.
Strategy 2: Initiate a nutritional value assignment system to food bank food resources with a goal to distribute at least 70% nutrient-dense foods.
Strategy 3: Collaborate with school systems and other community resources to educate clients on the awareness, importance, and use of nourishing resources in meeting their daily nutrition needs.
Strategy 4: Determine and implement better methods of distribution of food resources as a means of eliminating food waste.
Strategy 5: Identify the basic food resources and sources of foods needed to meet the nutritional evaluation goals.
Strategy 6: Create a process to better account for the number and location of individuals served by the Food Bank and it's partners.
Strategy 7: Build the financial capacity to sustain the operation and new program needs.

Galveston County Food Bank's capabilities for reaching the above goals are:

1. Over 80 collaborating partners including schools, churches, and charitable organizations
2. Over 1,000 volunteers
3. Partnering Distribution Organization of the Houston Food Bank and Feeding America resources
4. Experienced Nutrition Educator on staff

The Galveston County Food Bank consistently distributes food to between 20,000 to 23,000 residents each month, providing approximately 7.6 million pounds of food annually; and established two unique programs that benefit two vulnerable populations -- our elderly citizens living in isolation and minor children dependent on an adult for care. Creating the Homebound and Kidz Pacz program four years ago, these two unique programs continue to grow as more residents in need are identified.

The Homebound program was developed when the Food Bank discovered of a significant number of senior citizens on a wait list for receiving home delivered meals from both the county's home-delivered meal program and the Galveston Island-based Meals on Wheels program. The Food Bank now offers to assist individuals on the wait list until openings at either of these programs occurs and food needs are met.

The Kidz Pacz program was developed when the Food Bank became aware of the summer food gap occurring for school-aged children and the financial struggle that many parents faced during the summer months.