The Hays County Food Bank is raising funds to purchase a backup generator for its new facility. If the facility loses power, the food bank will lose three months of back stocked food, according to Executive Director Lisa Young.

While the organization planned to purchase the generator with its own funds, the high price of the equipment and unexpected expenditures associated with the government shutdown put a strain on its budget.

The Hays County Commissioners Court approved $50,000 to help fund the generator at a Nov. 18 meeting.

What’s happening?

Since the federal government shutdown, which lasted 43 days, and the temporary pause on SNAP benefits, the HCFB has been distributing food at over twice the rate it was during COVID. Young said the HCFB was able to absorb the extra cost of providing food during this time. However, this unexpected cost, combined with an estimate for the generator that was over three times what they had budgeted, left the food bank in need of some financial assistance.


The $100,000 generator is being funded by:
Young said the generator is being purchased as a proactive step to ensure the HCFB can serve the community regardless of circumstances.

“That way we can stay open and operational no matter what happens in the event of an emergency that affects the power grid,” Young said.

A closer look

The cooler and freezer at HCFB have the capacity to store approximately three months' worth of food. The freezer was donated to the food bank by the American Red Cross, with the understanding that the Red Cross or the Federal Emergency Management Agency could use the facility as a disaster hub in an emergency.


“It really would reduce our usefulness there to then not even be able to open because we don’t have power,” Young said.

According to previous reporting by Community Impact, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas predicts a stable grid for December and January, but cites that the grid could become strained in the event of a winter storm.

The last Texas power grid emergency occurred in September 2023 due to a heat wave.

Assessing the need


Across the state, over 3.5 million Texans receive SNAP benefits. As of 2023, 39,810 Hays County residents were considered food insecure, according to the HCFB website.

“In this area, we have a 17.6% food insecurity rate, we have 1 in 4 of our kids living in food insecurity, and we have 60% of our households less than $400 away from using the food bank for the first time,” Young said.
How to help

Those interested in supporting the food bank can:For more information, visit www.haysfoodbank.org/give.