The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a proud participant in this year’s USDA Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families food drive running now through Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, this annual event is designed to help food banks across the nation that are struggling through tough economic times.

Each NRCS office across the state of Texas will be collecting non-perishable items, preferably nutritious foods and sources of protein.

“When school lets out for the summer, our nation’s youngsters who receive free and reduced price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are at a higher risk of going hungry,” Vilsack said. “While USDA’s Summer Food Service Program helps fill that gap, these tough economic times mean that needy families throughout America are turning to emergency food assistance agencies such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens to put food on the table. Unfortunately, the summer is also a tough time for these organizations, as they typically see a rise in demand coupled with a decrease in donations. The good news, however, is that while the needs of our hungry neighbors are especially great in the summer months, our opportunity to make a difference in their lives is also great.”

A recent study revealed that 49.1 million Americans, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households, lived in food insecure households.

This number includes 32.4 million adults and 16.7 million children.

According to the USDA Household Food Security in the United States 2008 report, Texas is ranked No. 3 (14.8 percent) among the top 10 states that exhibited statistically significant higher household food insecurity rates than the national average (12.2 percent).

Please help make a difference by contributing your non-perishable food items to your local NRCS office prior to Aug. 31.

The NRCS office in Kleberg County is located at 401 East King Avenue, Suite 100 in Kingsville.

If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering in this effort, please contact Robert W. Schmidt with USDA NRCS at 361-592-0309 Ext. 3 or via email at Robert. schmidt@tx.usda.gov.