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U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar and South Texas Food Bank Executive Director Alfredo Castillo announced today that the South Texas Food Bank will receive $136,670.48 in conjunction with the 2008 Farm Bill, which oversees the monetary assistance for the nation’s nutrition programs.

It is expected that the total amount of pounds of food the South Texas Food Bank receives will increase from 1,063,889 to 1,446,889 in 2008 and to 1,905,089 in 2009. The South Texas Food Bank serves seven counties – Dimmit, Maverick, Kinney, Val Verde, Webb, Zapata and Jim Hogg, the last three which are in Congressman Cuellar’s district.

Per the provisions of the Farm Bill, $50 million in additional funds will be allocated to The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) for commodity purchasing. Of the $50 million, $4.3 million will be allocated to Texas and of that, $36,670.48 will be allocated to the South Texas Food Bank. 

In 2007, the South Texas Food Bank served an average of 17,961 clients per month in Webb County, 1,778 in Zapata, and 584 in Jim Hogg. With the increase in funding, the number of meals served to clients is expected to increase dramatically. The Food Bank in Webb County expects to serve 15,000 more meals per month in 2008 and 33,000 more meals per month in 2009.

“I applaud the efforts of my colleagues in the House to help put an end to hunger,” said Congressman Cuellar, “With these increased funds, we are taking greater steps to eradicate this problem and provide nutritious meals to our residents who mostly need the service.”

Said JC Dwyer, Director of Public Policy for the South Texas Food Bank: “"We're relieved that Congress has acknowledged the difficulties people have to put food on their plates. We're also extremely grateful for Congressman Cuellar's leadership. These progressive changes bring government back to the table to address the question of ending hunger in South Texas."

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Congressman Henry Cuellar is a member of the House Homeland Security, Small Business, and Agriculture Committees in the 110^th Congress; accessibility to constituents, education, health care, economic development, and national security are his priorities. Congressman Cuellar is also a Senior Whip.