Our Benefits and Privacy Policy

Our Benefits Explained

This information offers only a brief overview of the benefit plans available to Houston Food Bank associates. A description of the benefit provisions, conditions and limitations are provided to associates in the Benefits Summary book. Plans having these programs and features also have exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits, and terms under which the plans and policies may be continued in force or discontinued. In the event of a conflict between this Web site and the plan documents or policies, the plan documents or policies will govern. The Company has the right to amend or terminate these benefits at any time.

Cigna’s Machine Readable Files

This link leads to the machine readable files that are made available in response to the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule and includes negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers. The machine-readable files are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers to more easily access and analyze data.

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Privacy Policy

Data Privacy Policy

Revised: November 2025

Houston Food Bank (“HFB”) is committed to respecting and protecting your privacy and personal data. In this policy, we refer to both “personal identifying information” and “sensitive personal data” as “personal data.” However, the extent of data collection may not include all the fields defined in Texas law and may include data not expressly included in those definitions. In all cases, neighbors are informed about the data that will be shared with HFB before enrolling and consent to the partner organization sharing their data with HFB.

This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding the data we collect or learn about you, regardless of format. This includes personal data collected when you request services; when you interact with us verbally (whether in-person or by phone) or through our website, neighbor journey tool, mobile applications, or social media, or through an HFB device; through business relationships you or your organization maintain with us; or when you request marketing or promotional materials from us. Some personal data may be collected automatically through analytics tools and cookies.

You have choices about certain data we collect. When you are asked to provide your personal data, you may decline to do so, but if you choose not to provide personal data that is necessary for us to provide our services, you may not be able to use those services. To the extent that you provide us personal data related to another individual, you warrant that you have the right to provide such personal data, and you will be fully responsible for any liability arising from any such use of personal data, including indemnifying us from any such liability.

Personal Data We Collect

We may collect personal data from and about you from a variety of sources. We strive to collect only personal data that is adequate, relevant, and limited to achieve the purpose for which it was collected, and to keep all personal data accurate, complete, and reliable for its intended need. We may collect the following types of personal data, either directly or indirectly, through our websites, mobile applications, devices, outreach programs, marketing events, or other means to provide you with services, support, and related information:

  1. Full Name
  2. Address
  3. Telephone number
  4. Email address
  5. Date of birth
  6. Demographic information
  7. Device identifiers (i.e., mobile device or product identifier)
  8. Computer usage data (i.e., IP address, operating system)
  9. Geolocation data, when permitted
  10. Identification number (i.e., ID, driver’s license, or social security number)
  11. Other relevant information related to your needs and request for services

We may also collect the following types of sensitive personal data either directly or indirectly, through our websites, mobile applications, devices, outreach programs, marketing events, or other means to provide you with services, support, and related information:

  1. Financial data
  2. Health data

How we use your Personal Data

We may use your personal data for one or more of the following purposes:

  1. to respond to your inquiries or requests for services, and to send you information that you request,
  2. to send you important information regarding our relationship with you or regarding our website, changes to our terms, conditions, and policies, and other administrative information,
  3. to notify you about upcoming events,
  4. to communicate with you about, to process, or to recognize, when we have your permission, your donations, and
  5. for our business purposes, such as data analysis, audits, recordkeeping, developing new products or services, enhancing our website, improving our services, identifying website usage trends, optimizing your experience on our website, and determining the effectiveness of our fundraising campaigns, and to enable us to comply with laws, regulations, or legal requests, including to enforce this Policy.

If we intend to collect and use personal data for another purpose, we may seek your permission at the time the information is collected.

We do not trade or sell your personal data. We may share your personal data in limited cases, and we request the receiving party to have appropriate security measures in place and prohibit them from using the information for their own purposes or outside of what is necessary to provide the service. These third-party providers are not permitted to retain or use personal data for any purpose unrelated to the intended purpose of sharing. We may share your personal data:

  1. among partner and affiliate organizations for the purposes of promoting and administering our services and programs,
  2. among affiliates that share infrastructure, systems, and technology to process your personal data, as permitted by applicable law, and in accordance with this Policy,
  3. with third-party service providers as necessary for the operation of our business,
  4. with third-party research organizations, in a de-identified or anonymized format whenever possible,
  5. with other third parties when you request us to do so, and
  6. with public authorities as legally required. Whenever possible, we strive to limit any personal data provided to public authorities and to provide personal data in an anonymized or de-identified format. However, depending on the individual circumstances of the request, we may determine such disclosure is necessary to protect the interests, safety, or rights of you, other individuals, or HFB.

We use reasonable and appropriate physical, technical, and organizational security measures to protect your personal data.

We only retain personal data for so long as it remains relevant to the purposes identified in this Policy, unless a more extended period is required by law or in accordance with applicable regulations and/or policies.

Other than as set forth in this policy, HFB will not disclose personal data unless court-ordered or compelled by law. HFB is required by law to report any cases of suspected abuse or neglect of children or vulnerable adults. HFB is also required to share information about neighbors to law enforcement if they cause harm to a member of staff, another neighbor, or if the individual damages HFB property. HFB may also share personal data in the event of a threat to the public, such as a natural disaster or a potential danger to others.

Four Houston Food Bank employees smiling at the camera.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on applicable data protection and privacy laws, you may be entitled to a variety of legal rights regarding the collection and processing of your personal data. These rights may include, but are not limited to, the right to access, correct, delete, withdraw consent, or restrict processing. You may exercise these rights, to the extent they apply to you, by contacting us as outlined at the end of this Policy, or by following the instructions provided in communications sent to you.

If you receive communications from us that you prefer not to receive, you may opt out from receiving these communications, either by specifically indicating this preference in a communication to us or by selecting an opt-out option. In some cases, you may also choose to have your name removed from our database. We respect your rights, and we will never discriminate or retaliate against you or the business with which you are associated as a result of you exercising any right outlined in this Policy or afforded to you under applicable law.

Children’s Privacy

In accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, we will never knowingly request or solicit personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware that we have collected such personal data without the requisite and verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information from our database as quickly as is practical.

Third-Party Websites and Services

We may reference or provide links to third-party websites and services, including those of our affiliates, service providers, and third parties with which we partner. When you access these third-party services, you leave our website, and we are not responsible for, nor do we control, the content, security, or privacy practices of any third-party websites or services. This Policy does not apply to any third-party services; please refer to the privacy notices or policies for such third parties for information about how they collect, use, and process your personal data.

Changes to this Policy

We reserve the right to modify the terms of this policy at any time and in our sole discretion. If changes occur, HFB will notify individuals by updating the policy date at the top. If updates result in a material change to the way we process personal data, HFB will provide additional notice to individuals. By continuing to support or engage with us after those changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy.

How to Contact Us or Submit a Request

If you have a question about this Policy or our privacy practices, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights, you may contact us at any time using the following contact information:

By mail:

Houston Food Bank

Attn: Data Protection Officer

535 Portwall Street

Houston, Texas 77406

By email:   HFBDataTeam@houstonfoodbank.org