Partner Profile
The North Texas Food Bank (Web Site: www.ntfb.org)Mission: The North Texas Food Bank passionately pursues a hunger-free community.
Since it was founded in 1982 by Liz Minyard, Kathryn Hall, Jo Curtis and Lorraine Griffin Kircher, the NTFB has distributed 362 million pounds of food across our 13-county service area, which includes Dallas, Denton, Collin, Fannin, Rockwall, Hunt, Grayson, Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro, Lamar, Delta and Hopkins counties.
Last year, 32 million pounds of food was distributed from our warehouse, which underwent a $4.4 million renovation that enables us to distribute 50 percent more food.
Each month last year, member agency pantries distributed food to more than 43,000 families, and on-site meal programs served more than 410,000 meals and snacks.
For fiscal year 2006, the NTFB was No. 8 among more than 200 America's Second Harvest food banks around the nation for pounds distributed. The NTFB is consistently ranked as one of the top nonprofit organizations in Dallas/Fort Worth.
THE REALITY OF HUNGER
From 1999-2004, the rate of hunger grew five times faster than the national population; the national population grew by 1.3 percent, while the number of people suffering from hunger grew by 6.5 percent.
Texas is third in the nation with the highest percentage of families who are hungry, according to the most recent USDA findings. New Mexico and Mississippi are 1-2.
In the 13 North Texas counties served by the North Texas Food Bank, more than 692,000 individuals live below the federal poverty level.
Each month, NTFB agency pantries distribute food to more than 43,000 families, and on-site meal programs serve more than 410,000 meals and snacks. One-third of the clients served are under 18, and nearly one-fifth are 65 and older.
On average, the number of people who receive food from our pantries each month would fill American Airlines Center five times to capacity.
Forty percent of the households served through NTFB feeding and education programs have at least one employed adult. They are known as the "working hungry."
- Each month they must pay for transportation, housing and utilities, and then hope that their already limited resources will cover the cost of feeding their family.
- Many of those served by NTFB Member Agencies have recently lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
- Others are dealing with overwhelming and often unexpected health-care expenses.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS
Research shows that hungry children have poorer mental health and overall health, miss more days of school, suffer greater rates of behavioral disorders and are less prepared to learn when they are in school. The North Texas Food Bank's End Childhood Hunger Opportunities (ECHO) supports three major children's feeding programs: Food 4 Kids, Kids Cafe and Summer Food Service. Each $1 donated provides one healthy, nutritious meal for a child in one of these programs.
Food 4 Kids supplies participating schools with nutritious, kid-friendly, self-serve food designed to fill a backpack and feed a child over the weekend during the school year. Children identified by school personnel as being at risk of hunger receive approximately four pounds of food in their backpacks each Friday. On Monday, children return the empty backpacks, and they are refilled for the next Friday. We plan to distribute Food 4 Kids backpacks to 4,500 children in 180 schools by the end of the 2007-2008 school year.
Kids Cafes provide nutritious evening meals to children who participate in their school's breakfast and lunch programs but may not otherwise receive a third meal at home. Kids Cafe is the most expansive child-feeding program in the nation. Last year, the NTFB's 28 Kids Cafe sites provided 3,800 meals to more than 2,000 children each week.
Summer Food Service Program offers children in low-income areas nutritious meals during summer vacations when they do not have access to school breakfast or lunch programs. In 2006, about 350 children were served more than 17,700 meals through the Summer Food Service Program.
Celebrating 25 years of service to the community, the North Texas Food Bank passionately pursues a hunger-free community. Last year, the NTFB distributed 32 million pounds of food to 764 feeding and education programs in 13 North Texas counties, including after-school programs, residential treatment programs, food pantries, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, senior citizen centers and low-income daycare centers.
The NTFB is a member of America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network.
- For every dollar donated, the NTFB is able to provide five meals.
- For every dollar donated, 97 cents is used to feed hungry North Texas families.
FIVE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
- Give your voice. Hunger affects everyone in our community. Learn how and tell others.
- Give an hour. We've got a variety of volunteer opportunities and options.
- Give a pound. Host traditional and virtual food drives through your work, faith, school or civic group.
- Give a dollar. We can take your $1 and distribute $10 worth of food.
- Strengthen your team. Consider our teambuilding program for the greater good: serving-u.org.
Imagine... A World Without Hunger
ntfb.org
4500 S. Cockrell Hill Road, Dallas, Texas 75236-2028 (214)330-1396
