AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Central Texas Food Bank has launched its inaugural ‘Feeding Creativity’ Youth Art Competition.
Elementary, middle and high school students from across the 21-county service area are invited to showcase their talents for a meaningful cause.
The winning student’s artwork will be printed on one of the Food Bank’s 18-wheeler trucks, which travels throughout Central Texas.
Sari Vatske is the president and CEO of Central Texas Food Bank. She said she fears families may face a triple threat this summer, without access to free or reduced meals during the day, inflated daycare prices and the increased costs of cooling homes.
“This contest was created to help inspire creativity and shed a different light and voice on the issue of summer hunger,” Vatske said. “We’re hopeful that the art competition brings those very real-world issues down to the kid level.”
The Food Bank says it believes art is a powerful tool for social change, and that students can lend their voices to the over 150,000 children facing hunger in Central Texas by participating in the contest.
This year’s theme is “Nourishing Communities.” Participants are encouraged to explore how communities can come together to address hunger issues.
Mark Jackson is the chief development officer at the Central Texas Food Bank.
“There’s so many creative, amazing, talented kids and we’re creating a platform for them to be able to show off what they’re able to do,” he said.
All the artwork is due by March 25. The winner will be announced on May 20th, at a special Gallery Night event hosted at the Food Bank.
About a week later, one of the Food Bank’s tractor trailers should be rolling around with new artwork on display.
“This is a structured fun way to engage our youth now, so that they can become future supporters of the work that we do and help eliminate hunger in our community,” Jackson concluded.
For more information, including competition guidelines and registration details, you can visit the Central Texas Food Bank’s official website.