Texas Is Number One, But Not Like This

Texans wear the phrase “We’re Number One” like a badge of honor.

We lead in business. We lead in innovation. We lead in energy, agriculture, and opportunity. We are proud of our state and the spirit that defines it.

But today, Texas holds a different number-one ranking, one that should stop every one of us in our tracks.

One in Four Texas children now faces hunger.

Just a few years ago, that number was one in five. Today, it is one in four. Think about what that means. In a classroom of 20 students, five of them may not know where their next meal is coming from. These aren’t numbers on a spreadsheet. They’re children trying to learn while distracted by empty stomachs. They’re parents skipping meals so their kids can eat. They’re grandparents stretching a fixed income beyond its limits.

And it doesn’t stop with children.

Texas now ranks first in the nation for both children AND families experiencing hunger.
That distinction should concern every Texan.

The cost of groceries continues to climb. Housing consumes more of a family’s paycheck than ever before. Utility bills, transportation, childcare, and healthcare leave many working families with impossible choices. For too many households, food becomes the expense they can no longer afford.

It is the teacher’s aide who works full-time but still struggles to feed her family. It is the senior who has paid taxes for decades but now chooses between medication and groceries. It is the family living next door, quietly hoping no one notices they need help.

Hunger doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care about ZIP code, profession, age, or background. It can affect any one of us after a medical emergency, job loss, rising rent, or an unexpected bill.

These statistics represent our neighbors. They are hardworking parents, seniors, veterans, and individuals doing everything they can to make ends meet. Many never imagined they would need help putting food on the table, but one unexpected challenge can quickly create impossible choices.

For families facing those choices, access to nutritious food means more than groceries, it means stability, dignity, and the ability to focus on what comes next. It means a parent can keep the lights on, refill a prescription, or worry a little less about providing for their children.

No one should have to make those choices, yet far too many Texans do.

The answer to hunger has never been one organization, one building, or one program. It has always been people coming together.

At Good Samaritans of Garland, our new facility represents our community’s commitment to meeting
this moment. It gives us the ability to serve more families, expand partnerships, and respond to a
growing need, but it is only one piece of a much larger solution.

If we want to change Texas’ ranking, it will take all of us.

• Volunteer a few hours each month.
• Host a food drive.
• Advocate for policies that strengthen food security.
• Support the organizations doing this work every day. And if you’re wondering where to start, start close to home.

Change begins in our own backyard. At Good Samaritans of Garland, we see the impact of that compassion every day. Every dollar donated helps provide three meals for a neighbor facing hunger. Every volunteer shift helps ensure families have access to nutritious food. Every partnership
strengthens our ability to respond to a growing need.
Texans never back away from a challenge.

Let’s refuse to accept being number one in hunger.

Let’s become number one in compassion. Number one in generosity.
Number one in ensuring every child has enough to eat.
Because the measure of a great state isn’t how loudly it celebrates its successes. It’s how faithfully it cares for its neighbors.

One in four children is one too many.

Together, we can change that.

Sara Kenefake serves as Executive Director of Good Samaritans of Garland, a nonprofit organization committed to feeding, helping, and serving through direct food assistance and community partnerships.