Among one of its largest holiday food donations, H-E-B announced it will gift nine trailer loads of turkey and ham to food banks throughout Texas, providing the holiday meal centerpiece for more than 450,000 people this Thanksgiving and Christmas.

In total, more than 225,000 pounds of turkey and ham will be donated to families in need. On Wednesday morning, the retailer made its first delivery to the San Antonio Food Bank. Over the coming days, trailers will make their way to various food banks throughout the state to distribute the food.

“The holidays are a special time for families and friends to gather around the table to share a meal. H-E-B is committed to supporting our communities and helping families in need with the necessary resources to avoid hunger so they can enjoy the holiday season,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B Group Vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs.

In Texas, 1 in 6 households and 1 in 4 children are at risk of hunger. To help families who struggle to put food on the table, the H-E-B Food Bank Assistance Program works year‑round to raise awareness and battle hunger. In 2017, H‑E‑B donated more than 33.2 million pounds of food to Texas and Mexico food banks, equal to over 24 million meals.

Since 1982, the year the program was founded, H-E-B has donated more than 1 billion pounds of food to 5,500 non-profit organizations. Through the support of hunger relief initiatives like the H‑E‑B Food Bank Assistance Program and H-E-B Feast of Sharing, the retailer is able to give back to its customers and communities across the state and demonstrate the H‑E‑B Spirit of Giving, which has been an important part of the way the company does business for more than a century.

“Sharing a meal with family is such a meaningful part of the holiday season. We fight hunger all year, and we’re blessed to work with partners such as H-E-B,” said Eric Cooper, President and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. “No one should go hungry, especially during the holidays, and that’s why donations such as this are so important.”