Austin council member proclaims Sept. 25 Hunger Action Month and spotlights Central Texas Food Bank

Austin City Council member Paige Ellis read a proclamation declaring Sept. 25 as Hunger Action Month and recognized the Central Texas Food Bank for its work feeding residents across Central Texas.

Ellis opened the event by saying the month "shines a light on the problem" of hunger and that "no 1 in our city should go without a healthy fresh meal." She read figures included in the proclamation that, according to the text she read, 5,300,000 Texans face food insecurity and the state rate rose from 16.4% to 17.6% over the last year. Ellis also cited the Central Texas Food Bank's service reach noted in the proclamation: a 21-county service area, roughly 250 nonprofit partners and more than 530,000 food-insecure individuals served annually.

The proclamation, read on behalf of Mayor Kirk Watson, formally declares Sept. 25 as Hunger Action Month in Austin. After the reading, Ellis turned the program over to a speaker introduced only as Beth, who thanked the council and the mayor and described a recent local trend: "I believe the rate here is now 18 percent," she said, referring to Travis County. Beth expressed gratitude for partner agencies in Austin and Travis County that provide food and other supports.

The event closed with brief remarks from Ellis and a group photograph to mark the proclamation. No formal vote or legislative action was recorded in the transcript; the text documents a ceremonial proclamation and public recognition of the Central Texas Food Bank.

Key numbers cited in the event: 5,300,000 Texans reported as food insecure statewide; state rate reported in the proclamation as rising from 16.4% to 17.6%; Central Texas Food Bank described as serving a 21-county area with about 250 nonprofit partners and serving more than 530,000 food-insecure individuals annually; Beth stated the Travis County rate is about 18% (she prefaced that number as her belief).