The Current Struggle to Supply BFA with Food
Bread for All (BFA) is a food pantry supported by Shepherd of the Hills through Austin City Lutherans (ACL), a group consisting of several local Lutheran churches. It provides food and diapers for residents of the Montopolis area.
The current need for pantry donations is great. Food prices have skyrocketed along with gas prices. Bread for All has gone from helping around 60 family units each Monday in 2019 to 80 for most of 2022. It has recently jumped to around 110 units every Monday in October.
So why are food donations so critical right now? Much of the food, such as meat and fresh produce, is purchased by ACL at reduced costs from Central Texas Food Bank. Food donations from the congregations and community make up the rest. However the Central Texas Food Bank is not always able to supply BFA with the necessary food, making us unable to purchase extra food to make up the difference between donations and need. Here’s why:
Inflation is the driving force behind the problem. But other factors are intensifying it and causing the supply of food to dry up, as cited in a recent article in the Texas Tribune:
“A requirement for federal funding (which Central Texas Food Bank receives) is to buy fresh produce grown by local producers, but the historic drought has wiped out corn and wheat crops in Texas. Supply chain issues are leaving less for food banks to buy. Demand all over Texas is skyrocketing, but financial and food donations are dropping. There’s a shrinking labor pool, so there aren’t enough truck drivers to bring in food from other states or enough people to work in operations growing fruits and vegetables.
“It’s sort of an inverse tsunami, with demand going up and resources going down,” Bill Miller, CEO of humanitarian relief organization Breedlove in Lubbock, explained. “We’re in a tough situation that could get bleaker very quickly. It’s unfathomable.”’ Click here to read the full article.
What can you do? Donate food and diapers! You can bring donations to church anytime, or stop by on Saturdays from 9-11:00am and drop them in the Courtyard bin or by the office doors. You can also participate in our Thanksgiving Food Drive by picking up a bag (or fill your own) and bringing it to Worship on Thanksgiving Eve at noon or 7:00 p.m.
Helping our neighbors is what God calls us to do. Your generosity is valued. Thank you.