NEWS – SAFB Goes National With Its Fight Against Childhood Obesity; Makes Commitment To Partnership For A Healthier America

WASHINGTON, DC, May 11, 2017—The San Antonio Food Bank and Partnership for A Healthier America (PHA) announced today at PHA’s Building a Healthier Future Summit in Washington, D.C., a three-year commitment focused on efforts to curb childhood obesity.

The San Antonio Food Bank will continue to expand its efforts by 15 percent in three strategic areas relate to childhood obesity over the next three years:  increasing distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables to food insecure households, increasing meals served to children who struggle with hunger while they are out of school, and expanding nutrition and gardening education.

Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank said, “Eliminating hunger is our first priority, but we have always looked beyond today to help those in need access the resources necessary to stabilize their lives going forward. We strive to guide our clients to health and self-sufficiency through innovative nutrition, health, wellness and agricultural initiatives which take a holistic approach to nourishment. This pledge takes our commitment to a new level but we’ll need San Antonio’s support to help provide the resources to cultivate a healthier community.”

About 1 out of every 2 deaths from heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes in the U.S. is linked to a poor diet.  And in households at the lowest levels of income, the connection between the waistline and the poverty line has become increasingly evident: Food insecure individuals are buying cheap foods that give a false sense of being full but paradoxically make them more susceptible to obesity than individuals at higher levels of income.    

“Supporting the efforts of our country’s network of food banks is an investment in the health of our nation’s most vulnerable children. Not only do they lead the fight to end hunger in America, but organizations such as the San Antonio Food Bank focus on building a brighter future through food security, nutrition and health,” said Lawrence Soler, President and CEO, Partnership for a Healthier America.

About San Antonio Food Bank

The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501c3 non-profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to over 530 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long-term food security. For more information about the San Antonio Food Bank, visit our website at www.safoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/safoodbank or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/safoodbank.

About Partnership for a Healthier America

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation’s youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with—but independent from—First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation’s most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.ahealthieramerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.

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