Miss SPJST is fighting to end hunger across Texas – KWTX

Annual “Food for Families” Drive Addresses SDG 2: Zero Hunger

A recent report from the 2025 “Food for Families” food drive indicates a significant collection of nearly 2 million pounds of food. This initiative represents a substantial local effort to combat food insecurity and directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2), which aims to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.

Community-Led Initiative in Riesel, Texas

A notable contribution to the overall total came from the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Food Pantry in Riesel, Texas. The pantry successfully raised over 25,500 pounds of food, demonstrating a powerful community-level response to local food needs. This effort highlights the importance of local action in achieving global sustainability targets.

Youth Engagement and Service Learning in Support of the SDGs

Central to the success in Riesel was the involvement of youth volunteer Paetyn Beckendorf, the reigning Miss SPJST. Her participation is part of a year-long service project dedicated to fighting hunger, aligning her work with several key SDGs.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The primary mission of her project is to address food insecurity within Texas. Her hands-on work at the pantry is a direct contribution to ensuring access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food for all people.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The service project is an integrated component of an educational program that requires participants to research, plan, and lead a community initiative. This model of service-learning provides practical experience and fosters civic responsibility, with the potential for an academic scholarship to support future education.
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: Ms. Beckendorf’s project necessitates tracking community engagement and donations, fostering partnerships between individuals, community organizations like the 5 Loaves and 2 Fish Food Pantry, and the broader SPJST program to achieve a common goal.

Ms. Beckendorf stated that her motivation stems from prior volunteer experience at the pantry, where she observed the significant community need firsthand. This personal connection has fueled her commitment to expanding her impact beyond her local community.

Strategic Impact and Future Outlook

The “Food for Families” drive exemplifies a successful multi-stakeholder partnership that is crucial for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The collective action of community members, volunteers, and local organizations demonstrates a strong commitment to creating resilient and sustainable communities (SDG 11).

Key Achievements and SDG Alignment:

1. Substantial Food Collection: Nearly 2 million pounds of food were collected, directly addressing the targets of SDG 2.
2. Youth Leadership: Paetyn Beckendorf’s service project serves as a model for youth engagement in sustainable development, linking community service with educational outcomes (SDG 4).
3. Community Mobilization: The success of local pantries like 5 Loaves and 2 Fish underscores the power of grassroots efforts and local partnerships (SDG 17) in tackling major challenges like hunger.

Ms. Beckendorf’s ongoing commitment to fighting hunger in Texas indicates a sustained effort to support the long-term objectives of SDG 2 within the state.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article highlights community efforts to combat hunger through a food drive, which directly connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focused on poverty, hunger, and collaboration.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire narrative revolves around the “Food for Families” food drive, an initiative explicitly designed to fight hunger. The collection of nearly 2 million pounds of food and the efforts of the “5 Loaves and 2 Fish Food Pantry” are direct actions aimed at ending hunger within the community.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  Hunger and poverty are intrinsically linked. Food drives and pantries primarily serve individuals and families facing economic hardship who cannot afford sufficient food. By providing food, the initiative alleviates a financial burden on low-income families, thereby addressing a key dimension of poverty.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The success of the food drive is a result of collaboration between different entities. The article mentions KWTX (a media organization), the “5 Loaves and 2 Fish Food Pantry” (a community organization), the Miss SPJST program (a youth organization), and individual volunteers like Paetyn Beckendorf. This multi-stakeholder partnership is essential for mobilizing resources and achieving the common goal of fighting hunger.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the actions and goals described in the article, the following specific SDG targets can be identified:

• Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to food

  Under SDG 2, Target 2.1 aims to “end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.” The “Food for Families” drive, which collects food for distribution through pantries, is a direct effort to provide access to sufficient food for vulnerable families in the Riesel, Texas community.

• Target 1.2: Reduce poverty in all its dimensions

  Under SDG 1, Target 1.2 seeks to “reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.” The food drive contributes to this target by addressing food insecurity, which is a critical dimension of poverty. Providing food assistance helps families in poverty meet their basic needs.

• Target 17.17: Encourage effective partnerships

  Under SDG 17, Target 17.17 is to “encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships.” The food drive exemplifies this target by showcasing a successful civil society partnership involving a media outlet, a food pantry, and a youth volunteer program working together to achieve a shared social goal.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

• Indicators for Target 2.1 (End hunger)

  • Pounds of food collected: The article provides specific figures that serve as direct indicators of the amount of food made available to the community. It states, “nearly 2 million pounds were collected” in total, and the “5 Loaves and 2 Fish Pantry raised more than 25,500 pounds.”
  • Number of families served: This is an implied indicator. Paetyn Beckendorf’s motivation came from noticing “how many families actually came through the food drive,” suggesting that the number of beneficiaries is a key metric of the program’s reach and impact.

• Indicators for Target 17.17 (Partnerships)

  • Amount of donations raised: The article explicitly mentions that Paetyn’s project requires her to track “donations.” The pounds of food collected are a form of in-kind donation, serving as a key performance indicator for the partnership’s resource mobilization efforts.
  • Volunteer hours and community engagement: The article states that Paetyn must “track her hours… and community engagement throughout the year.” These metrics are direct indicators of the level of participation and the strength of the civil society partnership.

4. SDGs, Targets and Indicators Table

Source: kwtx.com