Category: News Room

Tyler Empty Bowls event to benefit the East Texas Food Bank

The East Texas Food Bank will hold the second annual Empty Bowls Tyler event on Thursday, February 27 at the ETFB, to bring awareness to the 1 in 6 adults, including 1 in 4 children in East Texas who are hungry, brought to you by presenting sponsor the Hall Family of Dealerships and restaurant sponsor Hibbs- Hallmark Insurance.

“We are so excited to bring Empty Bowls back for our second year,” said David Emerson, CEO of ETFB. “We have some of the best restaurants in Tyler participating in this event. We hope people will come out and enjoy some great food and drinks, listen to live jazz music and take home a bowl made by Tyler ISD children.”

Empty Bowls will feature live music and a raffle and silent auction for great prizes. Guests can purchase handcrafted bowls from East Texas artists. The event will be held from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $50 and are available at EmptyBowlsTyler.com

No guests under 21 years of age. Each ticket provides 250 meals to our neighbors facing hunger.

East Texas Food Bank receives 42,000 pounds of food from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

LDS DonationForty-two thousand pounds of mixed goods were delivered to the East Texas Food Bank on Wednesday, February 12, 2025. The food, amounting to 25 pallets, was donated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

East Texas Food Bank (ETFB) has a 26-county service area and operates multiple resource centers and 29 mobile pantries throughout the region. According to ETFB, 1 in 6 East Texans faces hunger, including 1 in 4 children. ETFB provides more than 31 million meals annually to 200 partner agencies and feeding programs.

The donation from the Church is part of its ongoing global effort to help individuals struggling with urgent temporal concerns by addressing immediate hunger needs, supporting improved nutrition, and promoting long-term food security. The donation of mixed canned and boxed goods will include vegetables, chili, fruit, beef, peanut butter, dried milk, and numerous other items.

Each year, the Church participates in hundreds of food and nutrition projects worldwide as part of its “Caring for Those in Need” initiatives. Most of these humanitarian projects are done with trusted partners, such as ETFB, which allows the Church to use its resources where they can do the greatest good.

ETFB was selected based on its connection with the community, ongoing relief efforts, focused leadership, organized processes, and adequate unloading equipment. In addition, it was important for the Church to select a food bank serving smaller, rural food banks. The ETFB aids several smaller pantries and feeding programs throughout the region.

“We are thrilled to receive this incredible donation of food from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” said David Emerson, CEO of the ETFB. “This high-quality food will go a long way in serving our neighbors in East Texas especially during the winter months when many of the people we serve are struggling with bills.”

The Church and the ETFB have developed a positive relationship in the community, as adults, missionaries, and youth groups from the Church regularly volunteer.

“We wholeheartedly support the East Texas Food Bank’s mission to fight hunger and food insecurity among our neighbors,” said John Ketcher, a Church leader in the Tyler Texas Stake. “We collaborate in spreading hope through acts of kindness because we love Jesus Christ. We know this is what He would do if He were here.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses on relieving suffering, fostering self-reliance, and providing opportunities for service for people around the world regardless of religion, nationality, or race. The Church encourages its members to be generous with their time and resources in any way they can.

East Texas Food Bank Announces New Director of Organizational Engagement

Starla Bickerstaff

The East Texas Food Bank has hired Starla Bickerstaff as the new Director of Organizational Engagement.

Bickerstaff has extensive experience in East Texas in retail management, manufacturing marketing, advertising management, and healthcare marketing.

She has a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Texas at Tyler. She has worked as a volunteer with several groups including the American Heart Association Go Red for Women executive leadership team and For the Silent, Women of Hope- served on their fundraising team.

Bickerstaff is currently a member on the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce Board and previously served as chair of the Membership Services/Contact Club Committee. She was honored as Volunteer of the Year by the chamber in 2023. She has also served on the board of the Lufkin Chamber of Commerce and the Winnie Berry Humane Society of Angelina County.

“We’re thrilled to have Starla join the East Texas Food Bank family,” said Tim Butler, chief development officer. “Her passion and heart for the East Texas community is a perfect fit for our team.”

A lifelong resident of East Texas, Bickerstaff is married with one child and has a strong passion for serving her community. She is eager to continue making a positive impact through her work with the East Texas Food Bank.

Hormel Foods and Brookshire Grocery Co. donate $100K of Hormel® Cure 81® hams to help thousands in need

BGC Hormel Ham Donation 2024

Hormel Foods Corporation and Brookshire Grocery Co. (BGC) partnered to donate nearly 8,000 Hormel® Cure 81® hams to help feed those in need this holiday season. The two companies are donating $100,000 worth of hams to the East Texas Food Bank and other food banks in the company’s market area for distribution throughout the communities where Brookshire’s, Super 1 Foods, Spring Market, and FRESH by Brookshire’s stores operate.

“We are very proud to annually partner with Hormel Foods and to donate $100,000 in hams to nonprofits, including the East Texas Food Bank,” said Brad Brookshire, Chairman and CEO of Brookshire Grocery Co. “We are dedicated to making a difference in our stores and the communities we serve. We are proud to help thousands of families this Christmas holiday with this partnership with Hormel for their Hams for Hunger program.”

Hormel Foods, BGC, and the East Texas Food Bank held a ceremony today at Super One Foods in Tyler to commemorate the occasion. Representatives from each organization discussed the significance of this donation in supporting hunger relief in communities supported by the food bank.

“We are thrilled to receive this generous gift of hams from Hormel Foods Corporation and Brookshire Grocery Co.,” said David Emerson, CEO of the East Texas Food Bank. “These hams will go a long way in helping our families in East Texas during the holidays and beyond.”

The makers of the Hormel® Cure 81® brand created the Hormel® Cure 81® Hams for Hunger™® program in 1989. The program involves a partnership between Hormel Foods and grocery retailers across the country.

Whataburger Franchisee Holds Annual Food Bank Fundraiser

Nearly two dozen Whataburger restaurants across East Texas will begin their annual East Texas Food Bank Ornament Sales Dec. 4. Guests can buy train ornaments to adorn each restaurant through Dec. 17 with all proceeds going to the East Texas Food Bank.

“They are a great organization that we’ve been partners with for 25 years,” DKT Investments Director of Marketing Nicole Jones said. “Some of our restaurants get so many donations that they end up papering the walls with ornaments. We start running out of places to put them.”

DKT Investments owns and operates 23 Whataburger restaurants in a dozen communities. The food bank serves clients from Texarkana to Lufkin.

By donating as little as $1, Guests can put their name on an ornament like this to hang in the restaurant.

People wanting to donate should visit participating restaurants in Tyler, Lindale, Chapel Hill, Henderson, Kilgore, Liberty City, Gilmer, Chandler, Mineola, Bullard, Whitehouse and Pittsburg to help.