They assessed the social service landscape and collected data on people accessing emergency food assistance in nine counties, then used this information to develop a community-wide plan to reduce the factors causing poverty and food insecurity. The plan highlighted steps that could be taken to benefit families with children, seniors and the disabled. The plan, to be coordinated and facilitated by the food center, engaged the leaders of public and private social service providers, religious congregations, and schools to address food insecurity and poverty as a community. By encouraging these groups to look at how they might share their constituencies, limit the duplication of services, and share resources, the issues in the community are now being addressed through a more holistic approach.
Kids spend time in recreation activities, then eat a healthy meal.
High schools and Texas Tech University help supervise the children. The Food Bank is subsequently planning to open two more Kids Cafes. While serving at the South Plains Food Bank in Lubbock, Texas, Mickey Leland Hunger Fellows Carrie Kilman and Jana Rumminger started and expanded two programs to address food security. Produce for the Plains is a fresh produce distribution program that was expanded to a new site, the Copper Rawlings Community Center. Once a week, edible but unsaleable fresh produce is picked up from local wholesalers and delivered to the community center, where community volunteers sort and display the fruits and vegetables on tables.