WF Food Bank Holds ‘Cattle Drive’ to Ease Hunger

Faced with reductions in federal food supplies and growing demand driven by inflation, the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank launched its Cattle Drive program last summer, and has renewed its call to ranchers to donate cattle that can be processed into beef for hungry families.

The program has become a key part of a broader effort that combines fresh food distribution, childhood nutrition programs, and an ambitious expansion project aimed at serving a growing population of food-insecure residents across the region.

“We looked around … and thought, ‘My gosh, look at where we are in Texas,’” said Julie Nawrocki, the food bank’s director of philanthropy. “If we think about donors, what’s another meaningful way for families to give?”

Ms. Nawrocki said the program’s potential is enormous.

“If we had every rancher across 12 counties say, ‘I’m going to donate one head of cattle per year,’ that would be an astonishing amount of nutritious protein being able to be distributed,” she said.

The program comes as demand for food assistance continues to grow. The food bank has seen a roughly 15 percent increase in the number of people served across its 12-county region during the past year. Many of those counties are rural food deserts where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited. According to the food bank, only five of the 12 counties it serves have supermarkets.

At the same time, the organization is pursuing an ambitious expansion designed to meet those growing needs.

The Wichita Falls Area Food Bank is in the public phase of an $18.6 million capital campaign to build the James M. McCoy Foundation Distribution and Education Center. The new facility will dramatically expand cold storage and warehouse capacity, allowing the food bank to distribute more fresh produce, dairy products, and proteins. It will also include a teaching kitchen and educational space where families, seniors, and children can learn about nutrition and healthy food preparation.

Food bank officials estimate they currently lack the capacity to adequately serve approximately 14,000 additional people across their service area. The new center is designed not only to feed more people, but also to help them build healthier lives through education and access to nutritious foods.

Other key programs include Power Pack for Kids, which provides bags of nonperishable food to students before weekends and school holidays, and a network of more than 90 community partners that distribute food locally throughout North Texas.

For Ms. Nawrocki, the food bank’s mission extends beyond simply handing out food.

“Ninety-one percent of the neighbors that we are serving have a source of income,” she said. “It is just not enough income for them to be able to thrive in their day-to-day lives.”

As the food bank works to complete its new distribution and education center, leaders hope the Cattle Drive program will continue to grow, helping ensure that families across rural North Texas have access to the nutritious food they need today while building a stronger food system for the future.

Ranchers interested in participating can contact the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank at 940-7662322 and speak with a member of the development team about the Cattle Drive program.