The Houston Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association held its 27th annual Gift of Produce event Dec. 13 and presented the Houston Food Bank with a gift of 2 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, to be distributed to the food bank's 600 partner agencies serving 18 southeastern Texas counties.

This amount is equivalent to more than 4 million servings of fruits and vegetables for those in need of food assistance.

The event included Roberta Anding, nutritionist for the Houston Texans, who spoke about the importance of good nutrition not only for professional athletes but for everyone, including growing children who are in need for food assistance. The Houston Texans team is an important supporter of the Houston Food Bank.

Each year for the last 26 years, the Houston Food Bank has received a generous gift of produce from the Houston Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, a nationally recognized professional organization with a membership of firms and individuals in the produce industry, including retailers, wholesalers, growers and shippers.

Since the inception of the event in 1988, this remarkable gift has grown from a yield of 100,000 pounds of produce in the first year to more than one million pounds each year for the past 11 years. In total, including this year's gift, this event has brought in more than 26.85 million pounds of produce.

In addition to the Gift of Produce, Food Town presented the food bank with a check for $36,000, and Seller Bros. gave a $10,000 check. These cash donations will provide another 190,000 nutritious servings of produce to the hungry.

"While the holidays are already a time of high demand because kids are out of school and not receiving meal assistance, the recent cuts to SNAP funding have heightened the need for additional food assistance," Brian Greene, president and chief executive officer of Houston Food Bank, said in a press release. "Many people are having a hard time making ends meet, and are turning to our partner agencies for help. We are working hard to fill the demand, and it is donations such as the Gift of Produce that will fill many tables this holiday season."

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture figures, Texas has the second highest rate of food insecurity (approximately 17.4 percent) in the nation. Furthermore, 47 percent of the people that the Houston Food Bank helps to feed each week are children.

"Despite the grim statistics, it is comforting to know that we can rely on companies and individuals in the community to help us fill the need, and the Houston Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association is one of our key partners," Greene added in the press release.

In addition to the generous Gift of Produce each holiday season, the Food Bank receives an average of 100,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables each week from the Houston Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association's members. This generosity has helped to make the Houston Food Bank a national leader in the distribution of produce to those in need.