The Wimberley Crisis Bread Basket commits to their work of “neighbor helping neighbor” year round but the coming weeks are special.
“We have amazing partners in the community,” Jessica Flores, public relations director for Crisis Bread Basket, said. “Those friends corporate and private - love Wimberley and exhibit a community first attitude.”
Flores notes a statistical uptick in need due to the pandemic, recessionary forces and the resulting financial crisis increasing food insecurity in the valley.
“We’ve calculated a thirty percent increase year-over-year of families seeking assistance by the end of 2022,” Flores said.
She indicated the Bread Basket saw thirty- three new applications in September alone, totaling seventy-two for the month. In October, the number of individuals served counted 968.
Creating awareness of the current and increasing need is an effort the Bread Basket’s board undertakes with intention. The statistics convey the message succinctly.
“The number of households seeking help has nearly doubled since the beginning of the year. Even with that increased demand, the Crisis Bread Basket is committed to being a reliable resource for our community to help in challenging times,” remarked Flores.
A contribution to public awareness is made annually by Ozona Bank during November. “This is the 20th year of Ozona’s involvement in the Turkey’s on 12 fundraising campaign. Volunteers began their efforts on Ranch Road 12 Nov. 8 and will be out again from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Nov. 10. Our officers and employees dress in turkey suits and Thanksgiving-themed hats strutting or dancing along Ranch Road 12, where both the CBB and the bank are located,” Daina Slover, Ozona Bank Assistant Vice President, said. “Ozona Bank contributes up to $5,000 in matching funds raised throughout November. In addition, we have two non-perishable food and toiletries drop-off bins inside the main branch and the drive-thru lobby for donated food and necessities. We place signs on the bank’s property and boxes in various areas throughout the lobby for monetary donations. Our bank employees and officers work shoulder to shoulder during annual Thanksgiving food distribution times as well.”
“Besides strutting along RR 12 in costumes and hats to increase awareness of the Crisis Bread Basket and its programs, the bank pays for newspaper ads, local radio ads, and creates engaging posts on Facebook,” continued Slover. “We encourage our customers and staff to help spread awareness of the campaign outside of the community.”
Kelly Barclay, Ozona Bank’s President and CEO, remarked, “The bank’s 20-year successful partnership with Wimberley’s Crisis Bread Basket is largely due to our dedicated and enthusiastic staff who strive each year to surpass the prior year’s monetary goal. Ozona Bank’s directors, officers, and staff are passionate about supporting the needs of the communities we serve and are excited to be a part of this journey with CBB. We listen to and care for the communities’ needs and strive hard to find solutions to their problems.”
Ozona Bank was recognized in September at the IBAT (Independent Bankers Association of Texas) conference for their longstanding community service efforts and partnership with the Wimberley Crisis Bread Basket.
There’s an outpouring of love from this community that shows up in donations of both money and canned goods. The CBB distributes Tuesdays and Thursdays. All application forms are available online at the Crisis Bread Basket’s website in both English and Spanish. The Bread Basket suggests that the forms are printed out and completed prior to coming to the facility, but it is not a necessity. “We understand that not everyone has the ability to prepare the forms prior to arrival,” said Flores, adding, “so we make the forms available on site. Having them in advance speeds up the process.”
The Bread Basket further directs anyone wishing to donate to use the QR Codes on their website and found on flyers distributed throughout the community. It’s as simple as opening the camera app on a cell phone or tablet, pointing it at the code, then opening the link that pops up. “The link takes people directly to the donation tab,” said Flores.
Another way to donate is with one’s time. Go to crisisbreadbasket. com, click on the “Get Involved” tab, and follow the drop down menu to “Volunteer” to find more information or to fill out a volunteer application. Serving is essential to keep the program running. Flores continued, “The Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks from school are opportune for kids, young adults, and families to help out at the food bank since they’re home and the need is greater… This is truly a community effort of neighbors helping neighbors whether that is volunteers stocking shelves and working with neighbors- in-need each week; or financial support from local businesses, churches and organizations; or an individual coordinating a food drive to supplement our inventory.”
