Caritas of Waco Brochure – Online format
2021 Caritas of Waco Brochure – Print format
Fighting Poverty and Food Insecurity
The poverty rate in Waco is 26% (36,201 residents).
The poverty rate in McLennan County is 20% (47,066 residents), (Feeding Texas) above the state and national average.
Income levels are improving in Waco-McLennan County, but the rising cost of housing, utilities, transportation and healthcare leaves many of our neighbors to make impossible choices and painful sacrifices. People we serve have had to choose between buying food and paying for housing, or between food and medicine. Food insecurity affects people from all walks of life. Working families, retired seniors on fixed incomes, grandparents with custody of grandchildren, the chronically ill, and the disabled all turn to the Caritas for help in emergencies or as part of their regular meal planning. As we work together to ensure all these people get the nutritious food and resources they need to become stable long-term, we’re counting on you to help educate the community about poverty and food insecurity around us.
What is Food Insecurity?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, and also points out:
“It is important to know that hunger and food insecurity are closely related, but distinct, concepts. Hunger refers to a personal, physical sensation of discomfort, while food insecurity refers to a lack of available financial resources for food at the level of the household.”
How Caritas Is Making An Impact
In 2021, our programs provided services to 27,201 households.
On average, 9,000 individuals receive nutritious food every month through our pantry program.
20% of the individuals we serve are children.
On average, our warehouse processes 12.4 million pounds of food a year.
In addition to serving Caritas clients, we provide monthly nutritious food to 23 local food pantries and agencies.
Caritas of Waco has served families in need for over 55 years. We know that it takes more than just food to fight hunger and food insecurity. That is why, in addition to our pantry service, we run a variety of emergency services and case management programs, providing clients with access to the resources and skills needed to become stable long-term. We provide support to anyone in need and do not discriminate against race, creed, age, sex, color, national origin, marital status, religion, union or political affiliation, handicap, veteran status, or sexual orientation. This is an equal opportunity provider. The majority of our clients are residents of Waco-McLennan County, although there are no geographical limits to receiving services from Caritas of Waco.
Additional Information:
How is Caritas pronounced? “Caritas” is pronounced “kar-i-tas” or another example is “Care-it-oss.” Video pronunciation example.
