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Central Texas Food Bank helps with school pantries
The Central Texas Food Bank has partnered with Austin ISD to establish six new Feeding Futures School Pantry locations in elementary schools across the district. FOX 7 Austin's education reporter Jessica Rivera has the details.
AUSTIN, Texas - Earlier this year, the Central Texas Food Bank partnered with Austin Independent School District to establish six new Feeding Futures School Pantry locations in elementary schools across the district.
The backstory:
Nearly one in four children in Austin ISD experience food insecurity.
To help address the growing issue, the Central Texas Food Bank partnered with the school district by opening the Feeding Futures School Pantry Program at Perez Elementary School earlier this year.
The plan is to open five more in Austin.
The new pantries will be located inside Barbara Jordan Elementary School, Katherine A. Cook Elementary School, Ortega Elementary School, Padrón Elementary School, Pérez Elementary School, and Walnut Creek Elementary School.
Together, these new locations expand upon the first AISD Feeding Futures School Pantry, which opened at Galindo Elementary School in 2025.
What they're saying:
"First, I want to give a huge thank you to Central Texas Food Bank for being such an incredible partner. We are so grateful for this collaboration," says Austin ISD superintendent Matias Segura.
"It's about feeding our future, the children. And the way we do it is in partnership with schools. And we know that schools are such a trusted place in the community, that parents in elementary schools have to go there to drop off their kids, to pick up the kids," says Anurita Mittra, VP of Network Programs and Services with the Central Texas Food Bank.
" We have to come together as a community to make sure our students get all basic needs met," says Segura.
"The fact that if these kids come and they're hungry, they're not going to be focused. If there's issues going on at home, they're not going to be focused. And that's why we come to together," says Gabriel Estrada with Austin Voices.
Dig deeper:
Grocery prices in Texas have continued to rise since 2024,
Mittra says with the Feeding Futures School Pantry Program it can help families who are struggling financially to afford healthy options.
The Feeding Futures School Pantry program strengthens partnerships with school districts to place food resources directly where families already are.
All participating campuses serve large populations of students enrolled in free or reduced-price meal programs and face disproportionately high barriers to consistent, nutritious food access.
The addition of the new schools brings the total number of CTFB school pantries in its 21-county region to 15.
"For families, these pantries are set up like small stores, like little neighborhood stores. So, they can go in and pick food as much as they like for up to 10 days," says Mittra.
What you can do:
Want to help? You can click here to find out how to volunteer.
The Source: Information from Austin Independent School District and Central Texas Food Bank.