The San Antonio Food Bank released a COVID-19 Crisis Response: One Year Later Impact Report.
The report is intended as an overview of impact from March 2020-February 2021 and the numbers indicate San Antonio and Bexar Country residents in need were at an all-time high.
- Of the more than 92 million pounds of food handled by the Food Bank in the last year, an estimated 62% was distributed through new mobile food distributions. Overall, 625,000 individuals received a food benefit in the last year.
- An estimated 156,000 children were provided a food benefit during the pandemic response.
- Pre-COVID the Food Bank team was delivering about 4,000 meals in a year. During the last twelve months, volunteers supported an effort that delivered more than 19,000 meals to mobility-impaired seniors and others.
- Services to households with a military member in it (current or veteran) saw a dramatic rise in need: pre-COVID about 15% of households receiving a food benefit had a military member in it; and, during our COVID response 37% of households served had a military member in it.
- More than a dozen rural counties across Southwest Texas saw nearly a 100% closure of local food pantries. The Food Bank stepped in to organize mobile, COVID-safe food distributions across these counties. More than 41,000 households were served, reaching more than 160,000 thousand individuals.
- Food donations during the pandemic response saw lift from many sectors, even with others struggling. Total donations were up 24% over same time prior year. If you think of the Food Bank as a foundation that investments value (in this case food) into local communities, the Food Bank invested $160 million into the region over the last twelve months.
- Donations of volunteer time were critical to our pandemic response. Corporate volunteerism shut down, but families and individuals stepped in. Total volunteer hours served in the last twelve months totaled 183,099, equal to nearly 100 volunteers for every hour of operation. Using a national metric from the Independent Sector, total volunteer hours had a value of $5 million.
- Philanthropic donations came to the Food Bank in record pace. The Food Bank processed an average of 67 donations every business hour over the last year, equal to 536 donations every week for 52 weeks. Total dollars were up more than 300%, topping off at $53 million. And the average gift size increase from $300 to $400 over the last year as well.
As a part or our stewardship, we have a responsibility to return and report our impact. This Impact Report is being provided in humility and transparency. With your unprecedented support we have been able to meet this unprecedented need.
Eric Cooper, President and CEO, San Antonio Food Bank