Customers will have the option to donate $1 of their purchase at any of the Houston-area Whataburgers. (Courtesy Whataburger)
Let’s face it: I enjoy cooking at home like any other 20-something, but sometimes, I’m just a local Houstonian who can’t resist the pull of the glowing orange W of Whataburger.
But what makes splurging on fast food a little easier on the wallet is knowing that some of my hard-earned money will go toward those in need. Through Oct. 12, Whataburger and the Houston Texans are partnering with the Houston Food Bank to donate a portion of the restaurant’s revenue to the nonprofit.
Customers will have the option to donate $1 of their purchase at any of the Houston-area Whataburgers. Don’t worry—there’s 156, so you have plenty of spots to pick from. Specifically, the proceeds will go toward the food bank’s child hunger programs: Backpack Buddy, Kids Cafe, and School Market. Since the partnership started in 2015, they have raised more than $1 million for the food bank.
As a thank you for donating, customers will get a coupon for a free burger with the purchase of a medium fry and 32-ounce drink on their next visit. A similar partnership is also happening with the Central Texas Food Bank and the San Antonio Food Bank.
“Each dollar raised helps put three meals on the table for Houstonians in need,” said Brian Greene, president and CEO of Houston Food Bank. “Partnerships with Whataburger and the Houston Texans are essential to provide food for better lives and bring us one step closer to ensuring every child has dependable access to nutritious food.”
Recent Census data found that Houston has the highest poverty rate among major US cities. Around 20% of Houstonians are living at or below the poverty line, per the data.
“Houston is one of America’s fastest growing cities, and growth — rapid growth — will be a double-edged sword,” Agustin Vallejo, a research assistant professor at the University of Houston, said. “So, what growth does is it polarizes the job market. It creates, on one side, a low-wage service work, and on the other hand higher productivity sectors. And that increases not poverty but inequalities in a society.”
This makes resources like the Houston Food Bank even more important than ever, especially since around one million people that the food banks serve are considered food insecure, meaning they lack access to consistent, healthy, nutritious food.
