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This is Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.
Local organizations that work to relieve both of the problems of hunger and homelessness held a news conference Tuesday morning at the San Antonio Food Bank.
Hunger and homelessness often go hand in hand, according to the organizations, like the City of San António, Close to Home and Haven for Hope.
The end of the federal government shutdown is good news for the 300,000 San Antonians who rely on SNAP Benefits.
Eric Cooper is the CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.
"By tomorrow, most of those benefits will be fully loaded onto their Lone Star cards now through the end of the week," Cooper said.
Cooper said the demand on the food bank soared during the federal government shutdown.
"We saw a dramatic increase in the number of individuals and families seeking food assistance from roughly 120,000 to 170,000 at the peak," he said. "That is starting to subside and we hope by this weekend we're back to the disaster of poverty, not the government shutdown."
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones also spoke at the news conference. She said for every $100 dollar increase in median rent, homelessness can rise significantly.
She said the city is committed to battling local hunger and homelessness.
Cooper also welcomes donations of time, money, or food, such as turkeys with the approach of Thanksgiving.
He said San Antonios can purchase a frozen turkey at local HEB Plus stores this Saturday and donate them immediately to the food bank, which will have refrigerated trucks out at store fronts, along with volunteers from Security Service Federal Credit Union.
