Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning got connected with the Central Texas Food Bank in the most unusual way. In early March 2023, the HBO late night show “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” did a 5 minute segment dissecting and analyzing our weirdly wonderful plumbing commercials. Thankfully, John was a fan and he issued Radiant a challenge. We were to produce a TV commercial inspired by a film of his choice, sight unseen. Should we accept, not only would he air our new commercial to millions of people on his show, he would also donate $10,000 to the Central Texas Food Bank.
The Radiant team jumped at the opportunity and produced the plumbing and AC commercial to end all plumbing and AC commercials. The movie we were asked to spoof was none other than Paul Thomas Anderson’s 3 hour drama, “Magnolia.” Our commercial is appropriately titled “Magtoiletolia.” Our final product exceeded expectations and John Oliver’s team made good on their promise to donate to the Central Texas Food Bank.
Last Week Tonight donated $10,000 to the Central Texas Food Bank. This was cause for celebration, and so naturally, both the Food Bank as well as Radiant brought out the mascots.
The Necessity Of Food Banks
People from all walks of life seek assistance from the Central Texas Food Bank. They span across age, gender, race, employment status and more. This includes working families, retired seniors living on a fixed income, grandparents raising grandchildren, and those who are chronically ill or living with a disability. We learned more about the Central Texas Food Bank’s mission and we became aware of some startling statistics. Last year, almost 437,000 individuals in their 21-county service territory experienced hunger. The demand for their services has only continued to increase due to inflation and higher living costs. Hunger affects one out of seven Central Texans, and some groups have even higher rates. We might not be aware of it, but most of us personally know someone who relies on the Food Bank. In Central Texas, hunger is all around us. Despite being a vast and complicated problem, our community is understanding and generous. If you are in need of food assistance, the Central Texas Food Bank can help you get food now.
What The Food Bank Does & How You Can Help
The Central Texas Food Bank is the biggest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas. They provide immediate access to healthy food through dedication and innovative programming. They have designed a variety of programs aimed at serving Central Texans from all walks of life. The Mobile Pantry, Kids Cafes, and the Fresh Food for Families (FFFF) programs are but a few initiatives in place to help feed our neighbors in need. It’s easy to get involved and support the Central Texas Food Bank. You can donate online or sign up to volunteer. Rest assured, your financial gifts are put to good use. In 2022, the food bank was able to serve an average of 250,000 individuals a month with support from the community.
Paying It Forward
Once we learned more about the needs of our neighbors, we were inspired to pay it forward. Radiant decided to match John Oliver’s donation by giving $10,000 to the San Antonio Food Bank. Our brand has become synonymous with the city of Austin, but not everyone knows we also serve San Antonio, TX. Our neighbors to the South face many of the same struggles as we do here in Austin. The San Antonio Food Bank is determined to address the hunger issue through a variety of programs and they give you a variety of ways to help.
Team Radiant presenting the San Antonio Food Bank with a check for $10,000. They graciously gave Radiant a tour of their facility and explained their mission to combat hunger in Southwest Texas.
After the dust surrounding our late night TV debut had settled, we still wanted to do more. The Radiant team decided to launch our own food drive in early May 2023. Our employees are bringing in food donations which will be delivered to the Central Texas Food Bank. We also launched a virtual food drive allowing remote employees as well as customers to support the cause. Our goal is to raise $5,000 and we’re confident we can surpass that number.
The Central Texas Food Bank and the San Antonio Food Bank are making a difference in the lives of people struggling with hunger. They need our help to continue their important work. Whether you donate money or food, or volunteer your time, you can be a part of the solution and help fight hunger in Texas.
