When I first walked through the door of the San Antonio Food Bank, the first thing I saw was a large window, and through that window, I saw people dressed in chef’s outfits preparing food. These chefs-in-training would graduate from the 12-week Culinary Arts Education program ready for a career making food throughout the city of San Antonio, or wherever else life takes them. At the end of the course, people already working in the food industry are invited to come and network with these new potential hires over a specially designed 3-course meal prepared by the new graduates. As I would soon learn, the San Antonio Food Bank does much more than distribute food to hungry residents.
Like most other food banks, the San Antonio Food Bank must manage the activities of the volunteers who help the organization accomplish its mission. If a big group wants to come in and volunteer, the food bank has an area set up with clear instructions on what to do. Volunteer management is a skill in and of itself, and the San Antonio Food Bank does it so well that you don’t even realize how vital the management really is. In addition to more traditional volunteers, the food bank even has a program called “Hunters for the Hungry,” which allows deer hunters to donate their excess game to be processed into usable food for hungry people in the community. To round out their broad offerings, the food bank also facilitates a garden program and a “Daisy Cares” program that helps hungry residents feed their pets. Potentially, a person could come to the food bank hungry and receive food not only for themselves but also for their pet and learn how to grow food for themselves.
My reasons for getting involved with the San Antonio Food Bank are as varied as the services that the food bank provides; it was a multifactorial process. Throughout my career, I have followed my own personal mission statement, using it to guide me in making important decisions. Part of that statement says that I will serve my community. Since going into private practice, I had been thinking about how to better incorporate that aspect of service into my business. Every morning, I do devotional reading, and one day I was reading about hunger. That theme really stuck with me, and I began thinking about how I could use my business to help support some of the organizations that are already making an impact in the community, especially relating to hunger.
Another encounter that made me start thinking about supporting the SA Food bank through my business was an encounter with a hairdresser. This past May, I attended a friend’s wedding and went to get my hair and makeup done beforehand. Throughout my time participating in SAPP, I have unfortunately lost the ability to make “small talk:” all my conversations inevitably seem to go deep. While talking to the hairdresser, I learned that she used to work as a missionary helping victims of sex trafficking. Despite the difficult nature of the work, the experience really spoke to her, and when she opened her own store, she dedicated part of her business to raising funds to help those victims. In the future, she wants to set up a scholarship to help those victims rebuild their lives. I saw how she had turned her business into something with a mission greater than just doing fabulous haircuts. She inspired me to see that I could do whatever I wanted with my practice, including making the community a better place. Inspiration can come from anywhere, even the most unexpected places; that 40-minute conversation certainly changed how I approach my own life and practice.
A final factor that directed me to the San Antonio Food Bank was the research of Dr. Robert Ferrer, a Family Medicine Physician and the Director for Community Engagement at UT Health San Antonio. Dr. Ferrer had been inducted into the National Academy of Medicine. Curious, I began reading about Dr. Ferrer’s research on food insecurity. As a plastic surgeon, I encounter many people who are insecure with their own physical appearance or abilities, and anyone who has trained as a surgeon also knows the hunger that comes with working for 24 hours without time to eat, but neither of those situations is quite like the insecurity or hunger that come from being unable to feed yourself and your family. In plastic surgery, I often get to help people regain their confidence, which I love. The food bank also helps people regain their confidence in a different way, and I love that we can help them accomplish that goal.
When the food bank asked if I wanted a barrel to collect donations at my business, I thought to myself, “why would I NOT want a barrel?” I actually need another one now, since the first one is overflowing. Anyone with a bit of spare room can go to https://safoodbank.org/ and set up a food drive themselves. If you have some time to spare, the food bank hosts groups both large and small to help with distribution and other tasks. Setting up online donations is also really easy and allows the food bank to use its large buying power to get the most value for every donated dollar (as little as $1 can provide up to 7 meals).
As a food bank associated with Feeding America, The San Antonio Food Bank doesn’t just serve San Antonio; they also help people from a broad area around the city. This past spring, the San Antonio Food Bank provided food for 120,000 people per week, twice their pre-pandemic numbers. To meet those needs, the food bank’s massive warehouse must remain stocked with supplies reaching from floor to ceiling.
If you want to help the San Antonio Food Bank serve those in need, visit https://safoodbank.org/ways-to-help/. You can also look for the red donations barrel at local Goodwill stores and Hill Country Plastic Surgery, among other places.
"Why would I NOT want a barrel?"
Story: Will Young, Photographs: Amita Shah
Be sure to keep an eye out for an upcoming story on one of the San Antonio Food Bank’s most dedicated workers: Heather Stanton!