CAFB ANNUAL REPORT 2010-2011
The face of hunger in Central Texas might surprise you. “These food pantries are very important because there are so many people in need during these hard economic times.” — Janice, a CAFB food pantry client
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The face of hunger belongs to Carissa Anderson. Her husband was out of work for eight months. She works part-time at a drugstore and cares for their three-year-old daughter. To try to stay afloat until he found a new job, they sold their ranch animals, dropped their cell phone plans, and canceled their medical insurance. It took Carissa — a previous donor — months to decide to visit a church food pantry, a CAFB Partner Agency. The face of hunger belongs to Maria Olvera, a widow who suffered a stroke 32 years ago and has been wheelchair-bound since 2008. A recent diagnosis of diabetes makes good nutrition more important than ever, but her monthly income must cover care for a granddaughter and great-grandson. The face of hunger belongs to 18-year-old Amber Dworak and her father and 16-year-old brother. Her father works on the maintenance staff at the University of Texas, but his income doesn’t always cover everything their little family needs. They live in rural Spicewood and can only afford one car, so Amber has had to rely on others for transportation and lost her last job as a result. The face of hunger belongs to mothers, fathers, grandparents and children. It belongs to military families, working families, folks who have hit hard times they never expected. You see their faces and others like them every day, and probably never suspect the hunger behind them. But it is there. And with your help, CAFB is working to fight it.
More than one in four Texas children is at risk of hunger. Military family photo: Ricardo B. Brazziell, Austin American-Statesman