Shell Donates $80,000 to West Texas Food Bank for COVID-19 Relief
/The West Texas Food Bank today announced that Shell has made an emergency donation of $80,000 to help purchase food for the Permian Basin during the COVID-19 crisis.
“The West Texas Food Bank is a critical lifeline for many children, families and seniors that are struggling to afford food while we are coping with COVID-19 and the associated economic crisis,” said Ron Dube, Operations Manager for Shell’s Permian Asset. “We are grateful to be in a position to increase our support to the West Texas Food Bank in this time of urgent need in our communities.”
The West Texas Food Bank has seen a 40 percent increase in their distribution over the past month. Workers in the service industry and retail workers who have seen their hours slashed, or who have been laid off, due to closures amid COVID-19 concerns, are lining up to take advantage of the Food Bank’s pantries, according to Libby Campbell, Executive Director, West Texas Food Bank.
“Donations like this from our friends like Shell help sustain the operations of the Food Bank,” said Campbell. “We are so fortunate to have so many great partners around West Texas who understand the need and are willing step up in a time of crisis so that the Food Bank can operate consistently. I am grateful to Shell for this gift to help end hunger in West Texas.”
In February, the West Texas Food Bank announced that Shell had begun funding monthly mobile food bank visits to Wink and Barstow.
Shell has been and will continue to contribute to COVID 19 relief efforts across the country and especially in communities closest to our employees and operations.
To date, that includes cash contributions/employee match programs, support for front line workers, in-kind donations and additional assistance to food banks.
Shell is also boosting production of and donating products considered critical in flatting the curve of COVID 19: most notably, isopropyl – a base component in hand sanitizer.
About the West Texas Food Bank
The West Texas Food Bank (WTFB) is a nonprofit hunger relief organization who distributes donated and purchased food through a network of over 80 Partner Agencies in 19 counties throughout West Texas. WTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, families and senior citizens through strategic partnerships with civic and corporate groups, as well as private donors. Every dollar donated helps provide four meals for the hungry, and 92 cents of every dollar goes directly to feed hungry West Texans. Founded in 1985, WTFB is a member of Feeding America (feedingamerica.org), the nation’s largest network of hunger relief organizations. In 2019, roughly 6.5 million pounds of food was distributed to hungry West Texans.
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