The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Inc. was founded in 1983 by Rev. Ted and Martha Knies in Pharr, TX. The Valley had just been hit with a devastating freeze and Rev. and Mrs. Knies wanted to help the families affected by this event.
From its small beginnings, the Food Bank RGV has grown to become the 36th largest food bank in terms of distribution in the nation and the 4th largest in the state of Texas.
As of the end of Fiscal Year 2006, the Food Bank RGV distributed over 19.5 million pounds of non-perishable and frozen product, and fresh produce. Total number of agencies for FY 2006 were over 200.
We currently serve the counties of Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron, and Willacy. In addition, we have a Subsidiary Distribution Organization (SDO) in the South Texas Food Bank of Laredo who directly serve seven additional counties.