Central Texas Food Bank

Central Texas Food Bank The Central Texas Food Bank, a 501c(3) non-profit, is the largest hunger-relief charity in Central TX
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The mission of the Central Texas Food Bank is to nourish hungry people and lead the community in the fight against hunger.

🚨Exciting news alert! Today marks an important milestone for the Central Texas Food Bank and the communities we serve in...
08/25/2026

🚨Exciting news alert!

Today marks an important milestone for the Central Texas Food Bank and the communities we serve in Waco and throughout the northern part of our service area.

We officially celebrated the grand opening of our new 64,000-square-foot Waco facility, expanding our ability to increase food access by bringing CTFB programs, services and food distribution infrastructure closer to neighbors in McLennan County and surrounding communities.

The facility includes an on-site Fresh Harvest Market, a commercial production kitchen, workforce training programs, warehouse and volunteer space, and a future garden.

This expanded presence is especially important in the nine northern counties of our 21-county service area, where an estimated 19.5% of neighbors experience food insecurity, compared with 15.4% in our southern counties.

We were joined today by Waco Mayor Jim Holmes, community leaders, partners, donors, Board members and many of the people who helped make this facility possible.

The ribbon cutting marks the opening of a new facility, but more importantly, it represents a long-term investment in increasing food access and serving our neighbors closer to home.

We are proud to be part of the Waco community and look forward to all that comes next.

Need groceries? Visit one of our mobile pantry distributions this week to receive FREE groceries for you and your family...
08/24/2026

Need groceries? Visit one of our mobile pantry distributions this week to receive FREE groceries for you and your family. Before you head out, be sure to make room in your trunk!

Can't make one of these distributions? We offer many other ways to access free groceries and resources throughout our 21-county service area. Use our Find Food Now tool to find Mobile Pantries, food pantries and other nearby resources by entering your ZIP code: https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/find-food-now

¿Necesita alimentos? Visite una de nuestras despensas móviles esta semana para recibir alimentos GRATIS para usted y su familia. ¡No olvide dejar espacio en su cajuela antes de llegar!

ÂżNo puede asistir a una de estas distribuciones? Ofrecemos muchas otras formas de acceder a alimentos gratuitos y recursos en los 21 condados a los que servimos. Use nuestra herramienta Find Food Now e ingrese su cĂłdigo postal para encontrar Despensas MĂłviles, despensas de alimentos y otros recursos cercanos: https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/find-food-now

08/22/2026

Food access is about more than having nutritious food available. It's also about helping people feel confident preparing and enjoying it at home.

That's part of the work happening at CTFB every day.

For this month's Garden Sample Day, our team harvested blue banana winter squash from our Culinary Garden and brought it into the Fresh Harvest Market, where our Nutrition Education team prepared samples and shared practical ways neighbors can use it in their own kitchens.

By connecting what's growing in our garden with nutrition education and hands-on learning, we're helping make fresh foods more familiar, approachable and useful for the families we serve.

Need food or support for your family? Our Find Food Now tool can help you explore food assistance and other resources available in your area: https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/food-assistance/get-food-now

08/11/2026

What started as a way to spend extra time after semi-retiring has turned into over 650 hours of service for volunteer Ross Fields.

"I've seen how organized this place was, how easy they make it to volunteer," Ross said. "It's super easy to sign up, super easy to pick a stint that works, super easy to change it."

Ross especially enjoys volunteering in our sorting warehouse, where no two shifts are exactly the same.

"There's a lot of variety. You get to do different things when you come in," he said.

For Ross, the mission is personal.

"I really like to cook. I really like to eat. So food insecurity is, and I recognize that is a huge problem everywhere. I think the mission the Central Texas Food Bank has to try to deal with that is really laudable, and I wanted to do my one little worker bee part to help out."

He also appreciates the positive atmosphere our team creates every day.

"The folks back there who run the show are all really nice. They're all enthusiastic about the mission. Everybody's grateful for the volunteers, and they're vocal about that."

Whether you're looking for a flexible way to give back, enjoy trying different tasks, or simply want to be part of something bigger, there's a place for you here.

Ready to find your volunteer shift? Join Ross and help make tomorrow possible: https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/get-involved/volunteer

This week, we joined leaders from agriculture, healthcare, research and nonprofit organizations at the Southern Family F...
08/07/2026

This week, we joined leaders from agriculture, healthcare, research and nonprofit organizations at the Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems Conference to share how strong partnerships are helping build healthier communities.

Our team highlighted CTFB’s Food Is Medicine work, including programs like Mobile FARMacy and medically tailored meals, which connect nutritious food with healthcare partners to support better health outcomes for our neighbors.

Members of our leadership team shared how these collaborative approaches are helping shape the future of food access and health in Central Texas.

Strengthening local food systems takes more than one organization. It takes people and partners working together, sharing ideas and building solutions that help communities thrive.

That's how we're making tomorrow possible.

The latest hunger data is here, and it captures what we know to be true: the need in our community continues to grow. E...
07/29/2026

The latest hunger data is here, and it captures what we know to be true: the need in our community continues to grow.

Each year, Feeding America releases Map the Meal Gap, a nationwide study that helps us better understand food insecurity in our communities. This year's findings show that more of our Central Texas neighbors are struggling to put food on the table than they were just one year ago.

Behind every number is a person. A parent stretching the grocery budget. An older adult choosing between food and medicine. A family working hard but still finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Swipe through to see what the latest data reveals about hunger in Central Texas.

Stay tuned as we take a closer look at what these numbers mean for children, older adults, rural communities and our neighbors throughout Central Texas, and how we're working together to respond.

07/27/2026

We're getting closer to opening our new Waco facility, and we couldn't be more excited to share this sneak peek.

This 64,000-square-foot facility represents an investment in the future of food access for families throughout the nine counties we serve in northern Central Texas. Designed with growth in mind, it will expand our capacity to serve neighbors today while preparing for the needs of tomorrow.

As Central Texas Food Bank President and CEO, Sari Vatske, shared during a recent tour:

"Every forklift we hear, every pallet we see turning, every door that rolls up — we know it's food on the way to families in need of assistance. It's the promise of what's next to come in the future."

Thank you to 25 News KXXV for taking viewers behind the scenes and helping us celebrate this exciting milestone.

We can't wait to welcome the community through our doors soon.

Address

6500 Metropolis Drive
Austin, TX
78744

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15122822111

Website

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