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Woodforest Charitable Foundation Presents $30,000 Check to Houston Food Bank

Houston Food Bank Receives $30,000

Photo Caption:Woodforest Branch Managers from across the state joined Kim Marling, Executive Director of Woodforest Charitable Foundation; Brian Greene, President/CEO of the Houston Food Bank; Vicki Richmond of Woodforest Charitable Foundation; Dr. David Gottlieb of Woodforest Charitable Foundation; and Patrick Schaeffer, regional Vice President of Woodforest National Bank.

HOUSTON…Christmas has come early for the Houston Food Bank and the tens of thousands of people they help to feed each week: Woodforest Charitable Foundation gifted the food bank with a check for $30,000 to support food distribution to its affiliated soup kitchens, pantries and shelters. 

Recent studies show that the need for food assistance is great across the country, and that Texas has the second highest rate of food insecurity in the nation.  Food insecurity means that a household’s access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources.

“The agencies that the Houston Food Bank serves are reporting a 43% increase in families requesting food assistance within the past year,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of the Houston Food Bank, “and a significant increase in the rate of daily hunger reinforces the need to expand the scope of food distribution to our community.  We are especially grateful for the generosity of organizations such as Woodforest Charitable Foundation in making this possible.”

Kim Marling, Vicki Richmond and Dr. David Gottlieb of the Foundation along with Patrick Schaeffer and 22 Woodforest National Bank branch managers toured the Houston Food Bank on December 15 for a firsthand glimpse of the warehouse in full operation, from sorting to packing and loading food for distribution into the community.

“The current economy has created difficult challenges for many individuals and families this year, and there has been a significant increase in the needs of the ‘working poor,’” said Kim Marling, Executive Director of Woodforest Charitable Foundation. “We realize that hunger is not exclusive to any single race or neighborhood and there is no particular ‘face of hunger.’  It reaches across all ages, race and income levels.  For this reason, Woodforest supports the Houston Food Bank which touches the broadest spectrum of the population in our area with the most basic of needs: nourishment.”

The Houston Food Bank is the largest source of free and low-cost food for hungry people in 18 southeast Texas counties.  A network of 400 charities, feeding a total of 80,000 people each week, receives more than 46 million pounds of food and prepared meals annually.  The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982 and a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, plans to grow to an annual distribution of 120 million pounds of food by 2018.

For more information on Houston Food Bank, please visit houstonfoodbank.org or call 713-223-3700.

About Woodforest Charitable Foundation
The Woodforest Charitable Foundation was created by Woodforest National Bank in 2005 as a direct result of its desire to support and invest in the communities in which it serves. The Foundation is creating a legacy of commitment to those in need, enriching lives and communities through dedicated leadership and faithful administration by providing funding to qualifying 501(c)(3) charities. For additional information regarding The Woodforest Charitable Foundation, call (832) 375-CARE (2273) or visit the foundation’s website at www.woodforestcharitablefoundation.org.

About Woodforest Bank
Celebrating 30 years of service and ranked among the top earning banks in the United States, the Woodforest family of banks currently has assets of approximately $3.2 billion and services more than 770,000 customers with branches in excess of 700 throughout fifteen states: Texas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. For information about Woodforest National Bank, please call 832-375-2000 or visit the bank’s website at www.woodforest.com.

About the Houston Food Bank
The Houston Food Bank is the largest source of free and low-cost food for hungry people in 18 southeast Texas counties.  A network of 400 charities, feeding a total of 80,000 people each week, receives more than 46 million pounds of food and prepared meals annually.  Fresh produce, meat and nonperishable’s are distributed from Herzstein Center, a 73,000 square-foot warehouse, and hot meals are prepared and distributed from Keegan Center, a 15,000 square-foot industrial kitchen. Additional community services range from nutrition education to assistance with food stamp applications and hands-on job training.  Red Barrels offer a convenient way for grocery shoppers to donate nonperishable’s for their neighbors in need.  The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network.  The organization plans to grow to an annual distribution of 120 million pounds of food by 2018.