[Honor of Hunger Action Month News Conference on September 23, 2025.]
[00:00:08]
I AM AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLI.
IT'S AN HONOR TO WELCOME YOU ALL HERE TO MARK HUNGER ACTION MONTH IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REAFFIRM THE VALUES THAT HOLD OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER, COMPASSION, DIGNITY, AND THE BELIEF THAT NO ONE IN OUR CITY SHOULD GO WITHOUT A HEALTHY, FRESH MEAL.
HUNGER IS NOT JUST A STATISTIC OR AN ABSTRACT NUMBER.
IT'S A DAILY BARRIER THAT TOO MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS FACE.
AND IT'S WHY THE WORK OF FIGHTING HUNGER IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST PROVIDING FOOD.
IT'S ABOUT STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, RESTORING PEACE OF MIND, AND MAKING SURE EVERY CHILD HAS THE CHANCE TO FOCUS ON LEARNING.
EVERY PARENT CAN FOCUS ON WORKING, AND EVERY SENIOR CAN FOCUS ON LIVING WITH STABILITY AND HEALTH.
THAT'S WHY HUNGER ACTION MONTH IS SO IMPORTANT.
IT SHINES A LIGHT ON THE PROBLEM AND ON ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK DOES, NOT JUST THIS MONTH, BUT EVERY SINGLE MONTH OF THE YEAR.
SO TODAY, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I'M PROUD TO RECOGNIZE THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK AND ALL WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY TO RELIEVE HUNGER AND RESTORE BASIC HUMAN DIGNITY TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO NEED IT MOST.
AND WITH THAT, I WILL NOW READ THE PROCLAMATION, BE IT KNOWN THAT WHEREAS TEXANS ARE FACED WITH FOOD INSECURITY, 5.3 MILLION TEXANS FACING THIS INSECURITY REPRESENTING ONE IN SIX HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS THE STATE.
AND WHEREAS THE RATE OF FOOD INSECURITY IN TEXAS HAS INCREASED FROM 16.4% TO 17.6% SINCE LAST YEAR ALONE, DEMONSTRATING THE URGENT AND GROWING NEED FOR RESOURCES, COMPASSION, AND COMMUNITY ACTION.
AND WHEREAS THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK IS THE LEADING HUNGER RELIEF NONPROFIT IN CENTRAL TEXAS, PROVIDING IMMEDIATE AND EQUITABLE ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOOD ACROSS ITS 21 COUNTY SERVICE AREA THROUGH DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAMS AND A NETWORK OF APPROXIMATELY 250 NONPROFIT PARTNERS SUPPORTING MORE THAN 530,000 FOOD INSECURE INDIVIDUALS ANNUALLY.
AND WHEREAS DURING HUNGER ACTION MONTH, COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE NATION COME TOGETHER TO RAISE AWARENESS OF HUNGER AND TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE, THE CENTRAL TEXAS FOOD BANK, WHOSE MISSION HELPS RESTORE STRENGTH, STABILITY, AND A SENSE OF NORMALCY TO THOUSANDS OF HOUSEHOLDS IN NEED.
NOW, THEREFORE, I PAY JEALOUS ON BEHALF OF KIRK WATSON, THE MAYOR OF AUSTIN, TEXAS.
DO HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 25 AS HUNGER ACTION MONTH IN AUSTIN.
AND I WILL NOW TURN IT OVER TO BETH TO SAY A FEW REMARKS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER, AND, UH, THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR, UH, FOR BEING TIRELESS CHAMPIONS FOR THE CAUSE OF HUNGER.
UM, WHILE WE'VE NOT ONLY SEEN FOOD INSECURITY RATES RISE ACROSS THE STATE HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WE'VE ALSO SEEN A SIGNIFICANT, UH, JUMP.
I BELIEVE THE, THE RATE HERE IS NOW, UH, 18%.
SO A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF OUR NEIGHBORS HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY REALLY FACE DIFFICULT DECISIONS ABOUT WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL, UH, IS COMING FROM.
SO RECOGNIZING THIS MONTH, BRINGING AWARENESS TO THE CAUSE, UM, AND NOTING THE GREAT WORK OF ALL OF OUR PARTNER AGENCIES HERE IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY IS TRULY MEANINGFUL AND WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONTINUED, UH, SUPPORT AS A CHAMPION FOR, FOR, UH, FIGHTING HUNGER.