By Scott Harvey
Dallas – The North Texas Food Bank is ahead of last year's pace for money and food donations, but they're not on pace to reach their goal.
Chief Operating Officer Paul Wunderlich says news figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show local food banks need to do more.
"In Texas the percentage of households that are food insecure or at-risk of hunger is much higher than that national average," Wunderlich said. "That national average, nationwide by state, is 14.7, and in Texas 17.4 percent of the households are at-risk of hunger at some time during the year."
Wunderlich believes that while Texas has better withstood the recession than most, the high poverty level is why we're seeing a larger percentage of families at-risk of hunger.
He hopes the holiday season will allow for a spark in donations, noting that November and December account for one-third of its annual collections.
You can learn more about the North Texas Food Bank, which serves 13 counties in North and Northeast Texas, at www.ntfb.org.
Hear Scott Harvey's full interview with Paul Wunderlich during today's installment of The Lead, beginning at 10 a.m.