First Choice Power, West Texas Food Bank team up to fight childhood hunger during holiday break
Food First™ holiday bag program provides food for Midland/Odessa kids in need
IRVING, TEXAS – First Choice Power’s Food First™ summer weekend food bag program, established in partnership with Texas food banks, has been expanded to provide children with nutritious meals this holiday season. The program will provide low-income children in Midland and Odessa with bags containing enough balanced meals to last during the holiday break.
“This is our first program to provide meals to kids in need during the holiday school break,” said Augie Fernandes, executive director of the West Texas Food Bank. “Thanks to First Choice Power, children in need will be able to enjoy their holiday break a little more, knowing that they don’t have to worry about where their food is coming from.”
Participants in the holiday food bag program are children on free or reduced lunch programs during the school year. Many schools have weekend backpack programs, but before FoodFirst ™, a weekend program did not exist in Texas during the school holiday break or summer. Each child who attends the free program will receive biodegradable bags full of nutritious foods, providing thousands of healthy meals during the holiday break.
The West Texas Food Bank is working with the Boys & Girls Club in Odessa and Casa de Amigos in Midland to distribute the bags. Both agencies participated in the summer food bag program as well.
“Texas ranks as one of the states in most need when it comes to hunger, and we are aiming to fill a gap in fighting hunger in the communities we serve,” said Brian Hayduk, president of First Choice Power. “We are proud to continue our partnership with the West Texas Food Bank to expand our Food First program during the holiday break.”
According to the USDA, 22 percent of Texas children are food insecure, meaning they are unsure of where their next meal will come from. First Choice Power’s Food First program aims to provide 1 million meals to fight hunger in communities throughout Texas. For more information on Food First, visit www.firstchoicepower.com/foodfirst.
You also can vote for the West Texas Food Bank to receive a Food First grant as part of a Facebook Food First program through the end of the year: www.Facebook.com/FirstChoicePower; click on “Food First.”
About First Choice Power
First Choice Power is an energy company committed to identifying what is most important to our customers and putting their needs first. Texas business and residential customers can depend on First Choice Power for competitive pricing and excellent customer service. First Choice Power is committed to giving back to the communities it serves through its Food First ™ hunger initiative, Reduce Your Use Grants™, Classroom Energy Innovation Grants™, recycling efforts and supporting employees’ community engagement. Learn more at www.FirstChoicePower.com. Keep up to date on the latest energy news and join the conversation by following us on Twitter @firstchoicepwr, Facebook facebook.com/FirstChoicePower or The Current blog, www.FirstChoicePower.com/blog.
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Media Inquiries
Catherine Carlton, (817) 773-5733
Catherine.Carlton@FirstChoicePower.com
Augie Fernandez, (432) 254-2140
Augie@FeedingAmerica.org