Food & Fund Drive inspires action against hunger
Fifty-eight thousand individuals are served through the San Antonio Food Bank’s network of agencies and programs each week. That’s only a few thousand less than the Alamodome’s seating capacity.
The individuals who receive services through the San Antonio Food Bank come from all walks of life. Unfortunately, many have found themselves with no other option than to get a referral due to an unplanned or unforeseen circumstance.
“There are a lot of people out there struggling,” said Donald Fey, a Substation Journeyman in CPS Energy’s Substation Construction area. “Some are losing their jobs and are now having to go to the Food Bank to get help.”
This year, CPS Energy is holding its first Food & Fund Drive. Donations to the food bank are typically low this time of year and recent events like the government shutdown have caused many to seek assistance.
The Food & Fund Drive was an easy way for Donald and his coworkers to help others. “I saw the bin sitting there so I decided to ask my coworkers for donations,” Donald said. “They gave what they could, then I went to Walmart and started throwing stuff into the grocery cart until I filled it.”
While paying, Donald’s heaping cart piqued the curiosity of a customer standing nearby. The two struck up a conversation that ended with the gentleman making a $5 contribution toward Donald’s purchase.
Donald said the donation was inspired by how the team had pooled their money together to make the purchase. “I’ve been at CPS Energy for 17 years and I feel I’m really blessed, so I always to try to give whenever I can,” Donald said. “I believe that if you do good deeds, good deeds come back to you.”
Members of CPS Energy’s Substation Construction team. Charles McNelly, Allen Cook, Lucy DeHoyos and Donald Fey.
The San Antonio Food Bank distributes a whopping 77 million meals annually to those in need, including the homeless, seniors, single parents, children and military veterans. To meet our community’s needs, the Food Bank offers a variety of options for people to give back, including annual and seasonal food donation programs, fund drives, volunteer opportunities and more.
“I think we’re wired to help others, and this is one way to do it easily,” said Rudy Guerrero, Volunteer Program Lead at CPS Energy. “We all go to the grocery store, so it’s convenient to just grab a few extra items or to donate online.”
The Food Bank has assembled a handy list of the twelve most wanted foods; however, if you’re looking to make an even bigger impact, your best bet is to make a monetary donation through the Food & Fund Drive.
Food banks can make a dollar go much further because they have greater purchasing power. “They get a lot more bang for the buck because of partnerships they have and the discounts they get,” Rudy said. “They can buy food at a substantially lower cost than we can.”
For every dollar donated, the San Antonio Food Bank can provide seven meals to those in need. Monetary donations also allow them to purchase the exact food items they need.
CPS Energy’s Food & Fund Drive is coming to an end soon. Food donations can be placed in the red collection bins located throughout CPS Energy including the company’s customer walk-in centers through February 18, and monetary donation are being accepted online.
