NONPROFIT BRIEFS New Braunfels Food Bank Local nonpro t works to ght hunger and feed hope
COMPILED BY SIERRA MARTIN
T he New Braunfels Food Bank is a branch of the San Antonio Food Bank, which serves 29 counties throughout the Feeding America network. Originally founded in 2010 as The Kitchen Table, the NBFB has expanded to serve the growing community. The NBFB assists around 7,000 individu- als with the help of about 2,000 volunteers every month. Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the SAFB, said that the NBFB has been working hard to accommodate for the growth in population in New Braunfels. “[New Braunfels] is such a fast-growing community that in those growing pains, not everybody is thriving, and the cost of real estate and the shortage of a ordable hous- ing has really put a pinch on many families to be able to pay their rent and have enough money to buy food,” Cooper said. The NBFB takes a three-tiered approach to how it serves the community, Cooper said. It meets the immediate need of clients through the “Food for Today” strategy, in which it provides groceries or meals for the community. The food bank o ers both
grocery pickup and a full-service kitchen at the facility. Its second approach is called “Food for Tomorrow,” in which the NBFB sta assists their clients in nding resources applicable to their needs through federal, state and local programs. Some of these programs include the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid or utility assistance. The third tier of the approach is “Food for a Lifetime,” in which the NBFB assists the community member with workforce devel- opment, job training and job placement. Some of these resources include English as a Second Language and General Educational Development, or GED, classes as well as a culinary arts program. Other services o ered include job fairs to help connect people in the community and nutrition education. “Families need to know that we’re here to help. Whether that’s food for the day, food for tomorrow or food for [a] lifetime,” Cooper said. “Those three resources are available for everyone if they’re needing assistance in putting food on the table.”
Volunteer Denise Callaghan sorts groceries into bags to give to clients waiting in their vehicles during pantry hours.
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HELP TACKLE HUNGER
Every $1 donated provides seven meals. DONATE
VOLUNTEER FOOD DRIVES
All ages and abilities have the opportunity to volunteer.
Food drives can be conducted by organizations or individuals.
1,828
7,088
Individuals served monthly
Monthly volunteers
New Braunfels Food Bank 1620 S. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels 830-327-6000 www.nbfoodbank.org
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., closed Sun.
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Spirit of Sharing Food Bank Volunteer-run organization built on faith and ran on love
T he Spirit of Sharing Food Bank is a nonpro t organization that began in New Braunfels in 1988. Over 300 volunteers from 20 di erent churches in the area make up its sta , which is centered around providing care and support to the community. “We’ve been in existence for 34 years, since 1988. And it’s like we’re the best-kept secret in New Braunfels,” SOS Treasurer Kathy Lehmann said. SOS is funded primarily through private and corporate donations and through its partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank in which it sometimes purchases food at a reduced cost. SOS sees around 500 clients monthly, which make up a diverse population including veterans, seniors, the homeless and families. Lehmann volunteers through the Eastside Baptist Church. “I think universally, everybody ... is part of our teams and part of our organization because we want to help people,” Leh- mann said.
SOS will provide food to those on an emergency basis and also o ers monthly grocery pickup services. The sta takes on a personalized approach to ful lling the needs of their clients by allowing them to choose certain items, making sure they have enough food for the members of their household and taking the time to separate donated items into reasonable quantities. “It’s not a big burden on any one individ- ual church or team because we have enough people that we can split [the responsibilities], but we’re always open to more volunteers,” Lehmann said. Currently operating in an 1,800-square- foot space that contains its o ce, warehouse, food sorting and donation drop-o , SOS has expansion plans. In order to better meet the needs of the growing New Braunfels area, SOS plans to move into a new o ce building and build a 3,000-square-foot warehouse next to its existing location by March 2023. “It’ll just help us to be able to expand our operation from the standpoint of serving more people,” Lehmann said.
Volunteers stand in the store room to distribute to those in need.
SOS GIVES BACK
The SOS Food Bank accepts both food and monetary donations. Monetary donations can be dropped o at its o ce, made on the website or mailed to P.O. Box 311032. 176,902 LBS. OF FOOD 3,741 PEOPLE distributed so far in 2022 helped so far in 2022
Spirit of Sharing Food Bank 256 W. Merriweather St.,
New Braunfels 830-629-3663
www.sosfoodbankinc.org Hours: Mon.-Fri. 1-4 p.m., closed Sat.-Sun.
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NEW BRAUNFELS EDITION • OCTOBER 2022
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