West Texas Hunger Program Expanded
Episcopal News Service. February 2, 1978 [78025]
William G. Noble, Chairman, Dept. of Communication
SAN ANTONIO, Tex. -- The Episcopal Diocese of West Texas is expanding its two-year old food distribution program to help needy families throughout the 60-county are of Central and South Texas, particularly in the Valley and in San Antonio.
Two years ago, St. John's Episcopal Church in McAllen, in cooperation with growers and packers in that area, launched a "Brown Bag" program to distribute culled but nutritious fruit and vegetables to the poor, elderly, and very young in the Valley.
Now, thanks to a grant of $1,830 from the Christian Social Relations Department's Hope for the Hungry Committee of the Episcopal diocese, the parish has purchased 40 produce bins which can be mounted on an 18-wheel trailer available from the Highway Pipeline Co. of Edinburg for the Church's use. Mrs. William I. Wyatt of St. Mark's Church, San Antonio, committee chairman, said the bins will hold between 48,000 and 60,000 pounds of varied produce.
Currently, the parish is searching for a diesel tractor to complete the rig.
"This would greatly expand the Brown Bag program which has been limited to about 50 sites in the Valley," Mrs. Wyatt said. "Culled produce given by growers and packers could then be distributed over a much wider area."
In addition, she said, the 86 other parishes and missions in the diocese have been notified that they can come to McAllen for culled produce if they can provide transportation and make their own distribution back in their local areas.
With record-breaking crops coming in this season and more growers participating, St. John's Church has had to employ a part time coordinator. She is Mrs. Ray Russell, 2108 West Way, McAllen, Tex. 78501, the Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr., rector, announced.
The Rev. C. Eugene Jennings, now at diocesan headquarters in San Antonio, began the program when he was rector of St. John's. In checking with packers he found that tons of edible produce were discarded during a growing season because of some defects. "There were things like crooked carrots, imperfect heads of lettuce or cabbage," he said, "all edible and nutritious except for appearance or size. " And meanwhile, he added, all through the Valley there were enclaves of people who could not afford to buy fruit and vegetables necessary for a balanced diet.
With a small flat-bed trailer, volunteers from the parish would load up with fruit and vegetables at packing sheds and proceed to distribution points in their area. Persons or families in need would take the food away in brown shopping sacks. Hence the name "Brown Bag."
Later, the parish was given a grant of $5,700 from the national Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief to purchase a two-ton stake bed truck which is currently running six to eight hours a day.
A second major distribution effort renewed recently is the grapefruit program in San Antonio, Mrs. Wyatt said.
Again this year the Crest Fruit Co. of Alamo is providing the Hunger Committee with tons of free grapefruit and free transportation. Cooperating in the program in San Antonio is Frank Sepulveda who has donated a site at his West Coast Produce Co. warehouse as a distribution point.
"These are not culls," Mrs. Wyatt pointed out, "but are market-quality, Grade A, ruby red grapefruit packed 20 to 22 per box." A year ago, this highly successful program provided 88,111 boxes of grapefruit -- some 2,643,330 pounds, she said -- that went to families that otherwise could not afford to buy fruit.
Program coordinator is Cecil Tilghman, member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Universal City. A retired Air Force senior master sergeant formerly stationed at Randolph Air Force Base, he resides in Schertz.
As in the Brown Bag program, Episcopal churches throughout the diocese are invited to participate in the distribution of the grapefruit where they are most needed.
Canon Jennings, who is administrative assistant to the Rt. Rev. Scott Field Bailey, Bishop of West Texas, pointed out that similar programs can be established by Church groups in any "truck garden" area in the country.