Holiday Meal Box sign up through Hays County Food Bank now open

Staff Reports 

HAYS COUNTY – For the 15th year, Hays County Food Bank will provide holiday meal boxes filled with traditional foods needed to make a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal. The boxes will include a frozen turkey, a few fresh produce items, and shelf-stable items like stuffing mix, canned green beans, mashed potatoes, canned pumpkin, and more.

Qualifying households may sign up at turkeys.haysfoodbank.org to reserve their meal box until November 5th. There is both an English and a Spanish form. If you need assistance signing up online, you may call the food bank directly.

• • Call (512) 392-8300 x225.

  • Phone lines are open Monday – Thursday 10:00AM – 2:00PM.

  • Assistance is available in both English and Spanish.

  • If you do not reach a person, please leave your name, phone number, and a good time to call you back.

In order to qualify for this program, a household must meet one of the following:

• • have a household income at or below the 185% of the Federal Poverty Level,

  • participate in a qualifying government assistance program (SNAP, Medicaid, National School Lunch Program, etc.), or

  • have a temporary food emergency

Supplies are limited. Boxes are available to families in need on a first come, first serve basis. 

The individual registered for the holiday meal box must be in the vehicle when picking up. If that individual cannot be in the vehicle, a proxy must be assigned prior to picking up their meal box. Call the food bank for further information.

Each household may only receive 1 holiday meal box. The USDA defines a household as residents at an address who share resources such as food and money. Roommates, family members, etc… who live at the same address but do not share resources are considered separate households.

Meal Box Distribution Locations

Everyone who signs up for a holiday meal box will receive one at their designated distribution. There is no need to come early. You can come during the second half and potentially reduce the wait time.

Donations Needed

This holiday meal box program is funded by the food bank’s Turkeys Tackling Hunger Campaign. Each meal box costs about $30 to create, and donations are needed. If you would like to be a reason a family gives thanks, donate now at http://bit.ly/TTHDonate. Your donation of $30 by October 15th will qualify you for a 2021 commemorative shirt. You will also have the opportunity to opt out of a shirt and just make a donation if you would like.

If you would like to be a sponsor for this year’s Turkeys Tackling Hunger, contact Iris Tate at itate@haysfoodbank.org. If you would like to volunteer for meal box distributions, please contact Andrew Campbell at acampbell@haysfoodbank.org.