The Houston Food Bank is the fifth largest food bank in the United States and a member of America's Second Harvest. Founded in 1982, this non-profit organization is based in Houston, Texas. It is dedicated to combating hunger and food insecurity. The Houston Food Bank provides food to over 400 non-profit, hunger-relief agencies in southeast Texas. Within the 18-county service area, the Houston Food Bank serves a variety of programs including: food pantries, shelters for the homeless, safe havens for battered women, and nutrition centers for children and the elderly. In addition to providing nutritious food for approximately 80,000 individuals each week, the Houston Food Bank also provides nutrition education programs to the local community. These programs -- Backpack Buddy, Community Kitchen, Kids Cafe, and Operation Frontline --empower participants with the knowledge and skills to make healthy food choices. For every dollar donated to the Houston Food Bank, $8.00 of wholesome nutritious food is distributed to individuals and families in need.In 2005, the Houston Food Bank distributed over 38 million pounds of food – approximately 63,000 meals per day. As a primary food resource for many partner agencies and their clients, the Houston Food Bank acts as a safety net against hunger and food insecurity for the Houston metro community.In the six months following Hurricane Katrina, the Houston Food Bank more than doubled its standard distribution rate of food and personal hygiene products—distributing 7,800,000 pounds of disaster relief items to local agencies serving hurricane survivors. The Houston Food Bank has been noted for its low overheard — 2.7% of operation costs.