This summer, BGCAA is proud to be partnering with two amazing organizations addressing food insecurity in our community, the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB) and Brighter Bites.

On June 11th, BGCAA hosted the kickoff of CTFB’s Summer Meals Program at our Home Club on the Sheth Family Campus, where our CEO Zenae Campbell and CTFB’s CEO Sari Vatske teamed up to distribute hot, nutritious meals to youth attending BGCAA’s summer camp. The Summer Meals Program is an initiative to serve kids under the age of 18 who are impacted by food insecurity by providing free, nutritious breakfasts, lunches and snacks at 88 sites, including 8 BGCAA sites. In total, CTFB and BGCAA provided more than 500 nutritious meals and snacks to BGC youth every single day this summer.

“We thank the Central Texas Food Bank for their partnership, especially as we know so many youth in our community are experiencing much higher rates of food insecurity this summer. And we are honored that our Clubs, which are located throughout the community, can provide youth with a supportive space to come and receive a nutritious meal,” said Zenae Campbell, CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area. “As the cost of living in Austin continues to rise, while benefits for families like the Summer-EBT program are cut at the state level, we must all work together to ensure that our kids have access to the healthy foods they need to grow and thrive.” 

Additionally, through a partnership with Brighter Bites, BGCAA staff, board and volunteers worked each week to bag and distribute more than 1,800 pounds of fresh fruits and veggies to more than 180 BGC families in need across Austin!

When school is out of session, we know many youth in our community struggle to access the nutritious food they need to be healthy, and we are committed to continuing to work with our partners to address food insecurity when and where we can.