CENTRAL, Texas — The City of Waco is getting a new food bank in late 2025.
It was approved at the city council meeting on Oct. 1. The Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) will be a multi-purpose facility, serving McLennan County and surrounding areas. Re-zoning will be taking place at 1402 Gholson Road in the meantime so the Food Bank can be built.
CTFB is a new major food gathering, preparation and distribution hub meant to address food insecurity in the region. They will be doing this by taking a holistic approach to solving hunger today while building long-term solutions for the future.
Food insecurity in the area remains higher than the national and regional averages, with a 19% overall food insecurity rate and a staggering 24.7% among children. The new hub’s location means fresh foods can be distributed at a higher volume and faster rate throughout McLennan and its neighboring counties.
Key challenges that are contributing to food insecurity in the region include a decline in full-service supermarkets, farmland and ongoing obstacles accessing federal nutrition programs despite relatively high enrollment rates.
The Central Texas Food Bank is uniquely positioned to address these challenges by convening government, agriculture and the culinary industries to create the critical access points to "meet our neighbors where they are".
"As the meal gap increases, as the community needs more from us, we have to step up and do more for our community, and so I'm excited to be able to provide a dignified experience when people come to the facility," said Central Texas Food Bank President and CEO Sari Vatske.
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