(SAN ANTONIO, TX) – Summer break signals the end of the school year, which means even more children and families across the state will struggle with the threat of hunger. To combat the problem, H-E-B through its Food Bank Assistance Program will donate 1.5 million apples to 16 Texas food banks this week.

“One in six Texas households struggles to avoid hunger, and during summer break the need for food grows,” said Danny Flores, H-E-B Public Affairs Manager. “As the state’s largest food retailer, H-E-B is committed to supporting our communities and helping families in need with the necessary resources to avoid hunger this summer.”

Throughout summer, food banks across Texas see a surge in demand for food. Without access to daily school lunches, children are especially at risk of facing hunger. H-E-B works directly with food banks that are affiliated with Feeding Texas, a member of Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief organization. Last year, Feeding Texas gave out more than 300 million pounds of food to Texas communities.

“We are so grateful to H-E-B for this generous donation,” said Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole. “Many food bank clients struggle with diet-related illness due to their inability to afford healthy foods. With the support of our partners at H-E-B, we are one step closer to our goal of closing the hunger gap in Texas with the most nutritious food possible.”

In 2015, nearly 16 million U.S. households were faced with the threat of hunger, the most recent figures from the United States Department of Agriculture show. In Texas, 1.5 million (one in six) households faced the threat of hunger, which is second most behind California. That number dropped from 1.7 million the previous year.

Throughout the year, the H-E-B Food Bank Assistance Program works to raise awareness and battle hunger in Texas and Mexico. Since 1982, the year the program was founded, H-E-B has donated more than 980 million pounds of food to 5,500 non-profit organizations. 

Altogether, more than 620,000 pounds of apples will be delivered to the 16 food banks. The following locations will receive deliveries:

            San Antonio

·         San Antonio Food Bank – (San Antonio)

            South Texas

·         South Texas Food Bank - (Laredo)

·         Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley – (Rio Grande Valley)    

Gulf Coast

·         Food Bank of the Golden Crescent – (Victoria)

·         Food Bank of Corpus Christi – (Corpus Christi)

Central Texas

·         Capital Area Food Bank – (Austin)

·         Brazos Valley Food Bank – (Bryan/College Station)

West Texas

·         West Texas Food Bank – (Odessa)

·         Concho Valley Food Bank – (San Angelo)

·         Food Bank of West Central Texas – (Abilene)

            Dallas/Fort Worth

·         North Texas Food Bank – (Dallas)

·         Tarrant Area Food Bank – (Fort Worth)

            Houston

·         Houston Food Bank – (Houston)

·         Southeast Texas Food Bank – (Beaumont)

·         Montgomery County Food Bank – (Conroe)

East Texas

·         East Texas Food Bank – (Tyler)