HOUSTON, TX, U.S.A.—March 14-17, 2016 —Food bank leaders from more than 38 countries are gathering in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. for the 10th Annual H-E-B/GFN Food Bank Leadership Institute (FBLI). FBLI, taking place at the Houston Food Bank, is the preeminent international forum dedicated to alleviating world hunger and reducing food waste through food banking.
This event, held by The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) – an international nonprofit organization that fights hunger through launching and accelerating the development of food banks around the world – will provide education, technical training, and best practice sharing for GFN members and those who are dedicated to making the world a better place through food banking. GFN currently connects more than 750 food banks in more than 30 countries.
“The training attendees receive at FBLI helps strengthen their day-to-day operations, and the event’s networking provides opportunities for future collaboration and partnerships,” said Lisa Moon, GFN’s President and CEO. “FBLI attendees return home with a greater ability to serve hungry people in their communities through food rescue.”
Past FBLI attendees have opened food banks in places where they didn’t exist (e.g., Shanghai, Bulgaria, Hong Kong, and Russia), expanded food banks to feed more people, and developed programs to address specific problems like childhood hunger.
Why Food Banking?
Food banking is a way to solve the interrelated problems of hunger and food waste. There are nearly 800 million hungry people in the world, while one-third of all food produced is wasted. Food banks rescue perfectly edible, yet non-saleable food before it is wasted and distribute it to feed hungry people through social service organizations.
FBLI is an effective and efficient way for GFN to support numerous individual food banks at the same time, as well as promote the global food banking movement.
FBLI 2016 Supporters
H-E-B, the Texas-based supermarket chain, conceived the event with GFN and has been a generous annual partner since inception in 2006. “We are a firm believer in the effectiveness of food banking at fighting world hunger,” said Danny Flores, Sr. Public Affairs Manager. “Food banks are an integral part of local communities, and the impact they have on people’s lives is inspiring.”
This year’s FBLI Flagship Sponsors are H-E-B and General Mills Foundation. The Leadership Sponsors are Kellogg Company Fund and Ryan Foundation. The Sustaining Sponsors are Cargill and The DLA Piper Foundation. The Next Generation Sponsors are Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Griffith Laboratories and Ingredion.
About The Global FoodBanking Network
The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN) is a nonprofit organization committed to fighting hunger and reducing food waste by creating, supporting, and strengthening food banks and food bank networks around the world. Last year GFN member food banks rescued 1.2 billion pounds of food and redirected it to feed hungry people through more than 28,000 social service organizations. www.foodbanking.org
About Food Bank Leadership Institute Partner H-E-B
H-E-B, with sales of more than $23 billion, operates more than 370 stores in Texas and Mexico. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 86,000 partners in Texas and 9,000 partners in Mexico and serves millions of customers in more than 300 communities. For more information, visit www.heb.com.
About Food Bank Leadership Institute Flagship Partner General Mills
