The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service is a participant in this year’s USDA Feds, Farmers and Friends Feed Families food drive, which continues through Tuesday.

The annual event, announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, is designed to help food banks across the United States that are struggling through tough economic times. Each NRCS office in Texas will be collecting non-perishable items, preferably nutritious foods and protein sources.

“When school lets out for the summer, our nation’s youngsters who receive free and reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs are at a higher risk of going hungry,” Vilsack said. “While USDA’s Summer Food Service Program helps fill that gap, these tough economic times mean that needy families throughout America are turning to emergency food assistance agencies such as food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens to put food on the table.

“Unfortunately, the summer is also a tough time for these organizations, as they typically see a rise in demand coupled with a decrease in donations,” Vilsack added. “The good news, however, is that while the needs of our hungry neighbors are especially great in the summer months, our opportunity to make a difference in their lives is also great.”

A recent study revealed that 49.1 million Americans, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households, lived in “foodinsecure” households. This number includes 32.4 million adults and 16.7 million children.

Texas — with 14.8 percent “food-insecure” households — is ranked third among the top 10 states that exhibited significantly higher rates of hunger than the national “food-insecurity” average of 12.2 percent, according to the USDA Household Food Security in the United States 2008 report.

Those who desire to help may contribute non-perishable food items to the NRCS office in Lampasas by Aug. 31. The office is located at 407 Plum Street, Suite E.

For more information, or to volunteer, phone NRCS District Conservationist Rick Cantu at 556- 5572, ext. 3, or contact him via em0ail at Rick.Cantu@tx.usda.gov.