Tag: Hunger Awareness

Whataburger and San Antonio Food Bank team up for fundraiser

Whataburger and San Antonio Food Bank team up for fundraiser for student hunger relief. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

This month, as part of the Whataburger Feeding Student Success program, Whataburger is partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank to help fight hunger and provide meals for San Antonio’s most vulnerable, as there are 50,000 more children in need since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

From Monday, October 5 at 3p.m. through Friday, October 30 at 12a.m., customers who donate $1 or more to the San Antonio Food Bank at any Whataburger location across San Antonio or Schertz will receive a thank-you coupon for a free Whataburger with purchase of a medium fry and 32-ounce drink. The $1 donation provides seven meals from the San Antonio Food Bank and helps reach their goal of providing 350,000 meals to local children.

The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501c3 non‐profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to over 530 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long‐term food security.

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 840 locations in 10 states and sales of more than $2.5 billion annually. Whataburger has 46,000 Family Members (employees) and more than 14 million customers who like to customize their Whataburgers just the way they like it.

“A few weeks ago we pulled the trigger on preparing thousands of meals a day for kids who were struggling with food. We needed a miracle to cover our unexpected expenses. Whataburger provides the opportunity for the magic, but the customer will be the real miracle maker. I have full hope that our great community will come through and make it happen.”-  Eric Cooper, President & CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

“Too many families in our community struggle to put food on the table for their children, and since the pandemic began, we know more children than ever are facing food insecurity. We started the Whataburger Feeding Student Success program to remove obstacles for our students, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to partner with the San Antonio Food Bank to support families at a critical time, and get kids the nutrition they need to be healthy and successful.” – Rob Rodriguez, SVP and Chief Restaurant Operating Officer of Whataburger

San Antonio Food Bank announces coronavirus preparedness effort

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The San Antonio Food Bank launches program to help community prepare for coronavirus. Photo: Google

On Thursday March 5, the San Antonio Food Bank launched a month-long coronavirus “preparedness and prevention campaign.” The effort aims to reach as many as 300,000 low-income households in the Food Bank’s southwest Texas service territory with a 14-day supply of food and a coronavirus preparedness kit. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2020)

The Food Bank’s 14-day food benefit will consist largely of items in its “12 Most Wanted” list. This includes staple non-perishable items like rice, beans, pasta, soups, canned meats, canned vegetables and fruits, along with diapers and pet food. The coronavirus preparedness kit will contain hand sanitizer and cleaning disinfectant, along with other items available to the Food Bank.

The Food Bank will implement a three-part effort to help deliver their preparedness food benefits and coronavirus prevention kits to those in need: targeted mobile distributions in urban and rural areas of southwest Texas; stocking super-pantries and senior centers with the benefit; and opening up a portion of their warehouse for individual drop-in to secure the benefit.

To meet goals of this month-long campaign, the Food Bank aims to raise $1,500,000, or the equivalent of 15,000,000 lbs. of food/cleaning supplies. The public is invited to make contributions at the Food Bank’s website and every $5 provides one food/cleaning benefit to a person in need, with the goal to distribute 300,000 prevention and preparedness benefits in a month. Volunteers will also play a critical role in this response. If you cannot give food or funds, you are invited to give the gift of time. Special volunteer shifts will be set up for the campaign.

“Our low-income families, particularly our seniors on fixed incomes, don’t have the luxury of stocking up in case of a virus outbreak, and they certainly don’t have the ability to weather a two-week quarantine or leave-without-pay if their place of employment sees a slowdown in business.” – Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank

San Antonio Food Bank announces new projects to combat hunger

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Photo: google

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, San Antonio has earned the dubious recognition of having the highest percentage of people living in poverty among the Top 25 most populous metropolitan areas. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2019)

In the wake of this news, the San Antonio Food Bank is announcing two new capital projects to help meet the need and transform services to individuals living in poverty in the region.

On Friday September 27, Eric Cooper is expected to announce the building of a new Culinary Center targeted for the organization’s westside campus. The facility will have the ability to prepare more than 100,000 meals a day for children facing hunger.

Cooper will also announce the building of a one-of-a-kind apartment complex that they will build, own, and manage on their campus adjacent to their New Braunfels Food Bank. The apartments will be a component of a larger program offered by the Food Bank to help families with children afford to live and thrive in the ever-growing community of New Braunfels.

San Antonio Food Bank
5200 Enrique M. Barrera Pkwy
San Antonio, TX 78227

Go Orange to fight hunger at Whataburger this month

WhatanightStory
September is Hunger Action Month. Photo: Whataburger, used with permission. 

This week, Whataburger announced their partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank for the tenth consecutive year. The goals is to fight hunger and raise awareness for SA Goes Orange, a month-long campaign during Hunger Action Month in September. (Whataburger, 2019)

From September 1 through 30, Whataburger will host a month-long fundraiser to raise money for the Food Bank. Customers who visit any Bexar County and New Braunfels Whataburger restaurant during that timeframe and donate at least $1 will receive a thank-you coupon good for a free Whataburger with purchase of a medium fry and 32-ounce drink on their next visit. Upcoming SA Goes Orange events include the September 14 and September 28 Volunteer Days at the Food Bank.

Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Whataburger now has over 700 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals every day with superior customer service. Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.

The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501c3 non-profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to over 500 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long-term food security.

Go Orange to Fight Hunger with San Antonio Food Bank and Whataburger

WhatanightStorySeptember is Hunger Action Month, a campaign designed to get the public mobilized to combat hunger. The month is dedicated to spreading the word and working together to find solutions. The ninth annual “Go Orange to Fight Hunger” campaign kicks off with San Antonio Food Bank and Whataburger joining forces in the fight against hunger. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2018)

This year, Whataburger’s commitment includes a customer fundraising event from now until September 30. Customers who visit any San Antonio or New Braunfels Whataburger restaurant and donate at least $1 will receive a thank you coupon for a free Whataburger with a purchase of medium fry and 32 oz. drink. Whataburger will also be donating $1 for every t-shirt sale from the hunger collection in the Whatastore. In 2017, Whataburger’s efforts helped the Food Bank provide more than 420,000 meals to area children, seniors, individuals and families in need.

The Food Bank’s “Go Orange for Hunger” campaign offers companies and individuals opportunities to make a difference by raising funds and awareness for hunger relief. Local buildings, including the Tower of the Americas, will turn orange for the month of September. The Food Bank has a “30 Ways for 30 Days” calendar to encourage community participation. On social media, the public can show their support by turning their Facebook or Twitter pages Orange and by showing how they go orange and tagging their photos with #HungerActionMonth.

“We are grateful for Whataburger’s longstanding partnership in the fight against hunger. We share a love for feeding people and giving back to the communities we serve,” Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.

Whataburger’s SA Goes Orange Fundraiser

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Whataburger is partnering with the San Antonio Food Bank for the eight annual SA Goes Orange campaign.  Photo: Whataburger, used with permission.

September is Hunger Action Month, a campaign designed to get the public mobilized to combat hunger. The month is dedicated to spreading the word and working together to find solutions. Whataburger has partnered with the San Antonio Food Bank for the eight annual SA Goes Orange campaign to encourage the San Antonio community to get involved. This year the San Antonio Food Bank has expanded their services to support Hurricane Harvey victims in the surrounding area. During these difficult times, food banks are on the front line providing relief to families in need by making sure that monetary donations, food and supplies are distributed to those in need. (Whataburger, 2017)

As a sponsor, Whataburger contributed a $25,000 cash donation and is hosting a customer fundraising event. From now until Tuesday September 26, customers who visit any Bexar County Whataburger and donate at least $1 will receive a thank you coupon for a free Whataburger with the purchase of a medium fry and 32-ounce drink on their next visit Throughout the month, 100 Whataburger employees will sort and pack donations at the Food Bank for families and disaster relief efforts. During the first Volunteer Day on September 16 they packed a total of 36,000 pounds of food and 1,200 boxes for seniors. The next one is set for Saturday September 23. Whataburger customers can help by purchasing a Texas t-shirt since the company is donating 100% of the net proceeds from these sales to support the Houston Food Bank and the Coastal Bend Food Bank’s recovery efforts. Texas t-shirts can be purchased online.

Whataburger has been making burgers since 1950 when Harman Dobson opened a humble hamburger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. He wanted customers to take one bite and say, “What a burger” so he named his stand on Ayers St “Whataburger.” Since then Whataburger now has over 700 locations across the country and continues to deliver fresh, made to order meals everyday with superior customer service. Community support includes charitable giving and volunteerism to nonprofit organizations that focus on children’s charities, cancer research, hunger assistance, disaster relief and military support.