Commodities to be handed out this week

Pick-up dates for the July distribution of the commodity food program are July 5 and July 6.

On Thursday, July 5, certified eligible families in Moran should pick up their monthly commodity food at the Moran City Hall between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon.

Albany families who have been certified eligible for the July food distribution program can pick up their commodity food Friday, July 6, at the rear door of the JP office (the former county jail) from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. 

Recipients who are unable to pick up their commodities personally can send a signed and dated note with someone to pick up the food for them, rather than letting the items go unclaimed.

The commodity supplemental food program is federally funded and works to improve the health of low-income and elderly people at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA commodity foods. 

In Texas, the Texas Department of Agriculture administers the program using local food banks and other organizations to distribute the food packages and nutritional education to around 34,000 eligible participants.

Nation-wide, almost 630,000 people participated in the program in 2017.

The food packages do not provide a complete diet, but rather are designed to be a good source of the nutrients typically lacking in the diets of the target population.