East Texas Food Bank Needs Your Vote to Win $45,000

TYLER – The East Texas Food Bank is hoping the public can help them click their way to a grant from Walmart by voting for them in the “Fighting Hunger Together” initiative. Food Bank officials say that’s a national campaign in which money is awarded to programs that get the most votes for their innovative and effective programs that help alleviate child hunger.

“The East Texas Food Bank is thankful for being selected as a finalist in Walmart’s ‘Fighting Hunger Together’ campaign, which will award 40 food banks with $45,000 for their child hunger programs. If awarded, we are dedicating this money to our BackPack Program, but we need East Texans to vote,” said Dennis Cullinane, executive director of the East Texas Food Bank. “The East Texas Food Bank has more than 4,500 children participating in the BackPack Program. Athens ISD, Frankston ISD, Nacogdoches ISD, Palestine ISD, Tyler ISD and Westwood ISD are just a few of the school districts who partner with the East Texas Food Bank to provide food for children through the BackPack Program.”

Go to http://bit.ly/45KforETFB to vote for the East Texas Food Bank. Go to http://www.easttexasfoodbank.org/Programs/BackPackProgram to learn about the BackPack Program. The public will be able to vote on their favorite child hunger programs through 11:59 p.m. ET on April 30th. Descriptions of programs from across the country that are dedicated to reducing child hunger in their communities will be posted on the voting site along with a “vote” button. Visitors to the page can award one “vote” a day to their favorite program. At the conclusion of the voting, top vote getters will split $3 million in funding from Walmart.

Funding for child hunger programs is especially critical given the significant need that exists. According to the USDA, more than 16 million children in the United States struggle with hunger. Here in East Texas, one in four children are at risk of hunger.