>> SAPD SAYS THOSE THIEVES USED A DRILL TO GET INSIDE THE VICTIM’S GAS TANK. THIS CASE IS
STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
>> AND SPEAKING OF GAS PRICES,
WELL, WE’VE SEEN GAS AND
INFLATION. IT HURT US ALL IN
DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT IT’S ALSO
HURTING LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO
HAVE A MISSION OF HELPING
OTHERS. THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD
BANK SERVES 90,000 PEOPLE EVERY
WEEK. THIS RISE IN PRICES NOT
MAKING THEIR JOB ANY EASIER.
NOW. IT’S NOT SO JOINING US IN
TODAY’S LEADING SA SEGMENT IS
ERIC COOPER.
>> THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE
FOOD BANK MORNING. ERICK, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR MAKING TIME FOR
US THIS MORNING.
>> WELL, THANK YOU BOTH.
AND GOOD MORNING. SAN ANTONIO.
>> WELL, I KNOW THAT WE WANT TO
TALK ABOUT HIGHER INFLATION AND
GAS PRICES, BUT YOU ACTUALLY
WERE JUST IN UVALDE YESTERDAY.
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN HELPING THE
COMMUNITY FOR SO LONG. WHAT WAS
IT LIKE YESTERDAY AND WHY IS IT
STILL SO IMPORTANT YOU TO GO
OUT THERE?
>> YEAH, I’M MAX. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. YOU KNOW, YOU’VE BEEN OUT
OF MANY OF THOSE DISTRIBUTIONS
AND TO SEE THOSE LONG LINES
OF CARS IS SOBERING. BUT TO BE
IN UVALDE YESTERDAY AT OUR
REGULARLY SCHEDULED
DISTRIBUTIONS TO SEE THE
VOLUNTEERS HELPING THAT
COMMUNITY HEAL TO HEAR FROM
THOSE FAMILIES, JUST HOW
DEVASTATED THERE ARE AND HOW
THEY’RE STILL LOOKING FOR
ANSWERS. MANY OF THEM NOT
KNOWING WHERE TO AND SO JUST
PRAY, PRAYING FOR HEALING,
BRAIN FOR UNDERSTANDING.
BUT IT WAS TRULY A BLESSING TO
BE OUT THERE. AND AGAIN, I JUST
WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT
SUPPORT THEM AND HELP IN TO
SERVE THAT COMMUNITY WHO WE
REALLY NEED TO THAT THIS TIME.
>> WELL, ERIC, ALSO ON THE
TOPIC OF INFLATION AND THOSE
GAS PRICES. SO HOW HAS
INFLATION AND HIGHER GAS PRICES
AFFECTED THE SAN ANTONIO FOOD
BANK?
>> WELL, FOR US AT THE FOOD
BANK, IT’S ALL ABOUT LOGISTICS.
IT’S GETTING FOOD FOR MOST THAT
HAVE IT TO THOSE THAT NEED IT
TO DO SO SUPPLY CHAIN EXPENSES,
THINGS LIKE FUEL. OUR KEY
INGREDIENT INTO THAT. AND SO AS
THOSE PRICES GO UP, IT JUST
COSTS S MORE TO DO OUR BUSINESS
AND WHERE WE SEE THE BIGGEST
IMPACT IS HONESTLY WITH THE
FAMILIES THAT WE SERVE. MANY
OF THEM BECAUSE OF INFLATION OF
ENERGY, NOT JUST FUEL, BUT
UTILITY PRICES. THE FACT THAT
IT’S BEEN OVER 100 AND THERE
UTILITY BILLS ARE INCREASING.
THEIR KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL
FOR THE SUMMER RENT MAY HAVE
GONE UP. AND SO THEIR PAYCHECK,
IT JUST ISN’T GOING AS MANY
OF US HAVE EXPERIENCED SHORE TO
THE GROCERY STORE, MEANING THAT
THERE’S ITEMS THAT WERE
FAMILIAR
WITH PURCHASING AREN’T
AVAILABLE. AND MANY OF THOSE
ITEMS ARE A MORE COSTLY.
AND SO FAMILIES LEAVE THE
GROCERY STORE WITH LESS FOOD,
MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE AT THE
SAN ANTONIO FOOD BANK.
>> WE’VE BEEN OBVIOUSLY WORKING
TOGETHER FOR YEARS. AND WHEN
THE PANDEMIC FIRST HIT, WE SAW
THOSE.
AMAZING UNIMAGINABLE LINES FROM
THE FOOD BANK. WE STARTED TO
SEE THE NEED KIND OF PLATEAUED
EVEN GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT NOW WITH INFLATION, WHAT IS
THE NEED TO LOOK LIKE NOW FOR
YOU GUYS?
>> YEAH, SO WE’RE WATCHING IT
VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE I THINK
WE WERE HEADED IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION, AS YOU SAID IN THEM.
YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE ITEMS
SEEING ON AND WHETHER IT’S THE
UKRAINE CONFLICT OR, YOU KNOW,
INFANT FORMULA SHORTAGE OR BIRD
FLU OR AS WE’VE BEEN TALKING
AND JUST OVERALL INFLATION,
IT’S IT’S MEANT THAT WE JUST
HAVEN’T HAD THE THE SUPPLY TO
MEET THE DEMAND AND THE DEMAND
IS GOING UP AS THE ECONOMIES
KIND OF FEELING THESE WE’RE
SEEING MORE AND MORE FAMILIES.
YEAH, AND WE WANT THEM TO KNOW
THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE THERE
FOR THEM. I THINK OUR STRATEGY
RIGHT NOW IS JUST RATIONING
WHAT FOOD WE HAVE A LITTLE
THINNER TO MAKE SURE THAT
NOBODY GOES WITHOUT. SO IF YOU
CAN HELP US AT THIS TIME.
WE COULD SURE USE THE SUPPORT,
WHETHER THAT’S A DONATION OF
FOOD OR FUNDS. WE’RE COMING OUT
TO VOLUNTEER DISTRIBUTIONS LIKE
THE ONES HAPPENING
IN UVALDE BOY, SAN ANTONIO.
YOU’VE ALWAYS COME THROUGH FOR
A SON. I THINK WE COULD REALLY
USE THAT RIGHT NOW.
>> AND ONE QUICK QUESTIONNAIRE
BEFORE YOU GO, WHAT SPECIAL
PROGRAMS YOU GUYS HAVE THE
SUMMER.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
ASKING. YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE
AMAZING AND THEY SHOULD BE
HAVING FUN THIS SUMMER, NOT
WORRIED ABOUT THEIR NEXT MEAL.
AND SO.
>> WE HAVE A SUMMER FOOD
SERVICE PROGRAM THAT AS FOOD
BREAKFAST LUNCH AND AFTERNOON
SNACKS AT MANY LOCATIONS
THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO IF
FAMILIES ARE IN NEED OF THAT,
JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE. SA FOOD
BANKS LAST SUMMER MEALS.
AND YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT ALL THE
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND
PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE AND WHERE
THEIR KIDS COULD BE NOURISHED.
ALL RIGHT. ERIC COOPER, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS
MORNING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
ALL YOU DO FOR SAN ANTONIO.
>> ANYONE WHO MISSED ANY OF
THIS INTERVIEW, WE’RE GOING TO
HAVE IT ALL ON. KSAT.COM
THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. THANKS,