Our Programs

Your generous contribution of food product, funds and volunteer service supports the many programs of the North Texas Food Bank. These programs benefit over 678 feeding and education programs in 13 North Texas counties, including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, after-school programs, senior citizen centers and other social service centers. These agencies receive food from the Food Bank and distribute it to North Texans in need through their pantry and on-site meal programs.

North Texans who seek assistance from our member agencies come from a variety of backgrounds. These individuals and families may be your neighbors, your co-workers, your friends or even your family. Many of them are the working poor. Each month they must pay for transportation, housing and utilities in that order - and then hope that their already-limited resources will cover a month's supply of food for their family. Many of those served by our member agencies have recently lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Others are dealing with overwhelming healthcare expenses. Even natural disasters can play a part in straining an already over- extended income.

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Charitable Produce Center

Louise Gartner founded the Charitable Produce Center in 1994 to transform the tremendous amount of waste in the fresh produce market into a source of sustenance for hungry North Texans.

In 1999, with a grant from Kraft Foods, Inc., the Food Bank extended this concept by developing the Rural Produce Initiative, which distributes fresh produce to agencies outside of Dallas County each week. In fiscal year 2006 the program delivered more than 1,300,000 pounds of produce to 7 rural North Texas counties.

For more information email our Chief Operating Officer Paul Wunderlich or call him at 214.330.1396 ext. 104.

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Commodities Supplemental Food Program

In 2000, the North Texas Food Bank became the first CSFP (also known as PAN-People and Nutrition in Dallas) distributor in Texas. This program provides surplus USDA commodities for Dallas County residents who meet one of the following requirements:

• 60 and older
• Children under 6 not receiving assistance from WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program)
• Pregnant or postpartum women not receiving assistance from WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program)

Each month, 7350 eligible participants receive an estimated 32 pounds of surplus USDA commodities at 98 PAN distribution sites in Dallas County. PAN is a partnership of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Health & Human Services Commission, Catholic Charities of Dallas, Inc. and the North Texas Food Bank.

For more information, email Rosie Hernandez, CSFP Coordinator or call her at 214.330.1396.

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Community Kitchen

The Community Kitchen began as a North Texas Food Bank pilot program in early 2000. The mission of the Kitchen is to offer nonprofit agencies nutritious, fully prepared frozen meals to heat and serve to the hungry while providing culinary job skills training to disadvantaged individuals with an interest in a food service career.

The program’s success depends upon partners who have eagerly contributed their resources. These partnerships include the First United Methodist Church of Dallas, the Texas Second Chance Program of the Dawson State Prison, the Texas Restaurant Association and the Culinary Arts program of El Centro College. In addition, American Express, the Meadows Foundation and Philip Morris have made significant financial contributions to the Community Kitchen program.

Construction of a new 3,000 square foot kitchen at the Food Bank was completed in February 2002. The Kitchen produces an average of 10,000 meals weekly in a variety of formats that are distributed through 59 Feeding Programs; including 14 Shelters, 5 Senior Sites, 2 Daycares, 1 Soup Kitchen, 15 Food Pantries and 22 Kids Cafes. Up to 30 students, primarily from the Texas Second Chance program in partnership with Dawson State Prison, receive food service training each year while helping to prepare the meals.

Community Kitchen Fact Sheet

For more information, email our Chief Operating Officer Paul Wunderlich or call him 214.330.1396 ext. 104.

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Food for Families

Food For Families is a cooperative effort between the North Texas Food Bank and more than 25 member agencies.

Clients of the cooperating agencies have been pre-qualified and bring an agency issued voucher for specific food distribution. Clients meet agency volunteers at a specific parking lot at a specific time. A drive-through line is organized and agency volunteers distribute food directly to clients from Food Bank trucks.

During fiscal year 2006, over 1,579,374 pounds of food was distributed to 16,114 families and over 66,968 individuals. The Food For Families distributions take place every Friday at 8 different locations, and two Thursdays each month.

For more information, email our Program Services Coordinator Jonathan Braddick or call him 214.330.1396 ext. 127.

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Food 4 Kids

The Food 4 Kids program provides shelf-stable meals for the weekend to those elementary school children most at risk of going hungry over the weekend. Currently serving over sixty schools in 9 school districts, the program provides food every weekend to approximately 3000 children in the greater Dallas area.

"I have visited this organization, and I am pleased by the good work of its members on behalf of children and families in North Texas. The Food 4 Kids Program is an important component of community programs dedicated to helping lower-income families sustain good nutrition."
U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)

From the Frontlines…
A testimonial from RISD Academy

One student came running up to me the next day after receiving the food on Friday and just hugged my legs tightly. As I unpeeled him I asked, what was wrong. He simply responded, “I had the best weekend! I ate all my food and shared some with my little brother. I hid it under my bed and ate it whenever I felt hungry.”

Another student asked the teacher several times throughout the day to come and see me. He asked, “Are you going to give me food again?” I answered, “Yes, every Friday.” He came back again the same day to ask, “Are you sure you’re going to have enough food to give me some again?” Again, I answered yes. A third time in the same day he asked, “When can I come and get my food from you?” I turned and knelt to his level and took his hand. I gently squeezed and said, “As long as I can and you are in this school, I will give you this food every Friday. All you have to do is be here.” He hugged me so hard I could hardly breathe.

Children's Programs

For more information, email our Child Programs Coordinator Jennifer Bussell or call her at 214.330.1396 ext. 129.

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Hunger Link Prepared Foods

The Dallas Hunger Link has been in operation since 1986. The program collects surplus prepared perishable food from over 50 donor hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and other food services. The surplus prepared food is frozen in disposable aluminum steam table pans provided by the Food Bank. Specially trained Hunger Link drivers pick up the food in refrigerated Hunger Link trucks and distribute it to on-site meal programs throughout Dallas. During fiscal year 2006, the Hunger Link program collected over 556,000 pounds of food and delivered it to 22 Member Agencies.

Hunger Link Fact Sheet

For more information or to become a donor, email our Food Sourcing Manager William Daniels or call him at 214.330.1396 ext. 134.

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Kids Cafe

The Kids Cafe program has focused its efforts to address critical issues of childhood hunger since 1998 when the North Texas Food Bank opened 4 Kids Cafe sites with corporate donations from Capital One. Capital One is a Founding Partner of 11 Kids Cafes for the North Texas Food Bank. In June, 2005, Capital One Auto Finance became the Founding Partner of the McKinney Boys & Girls Club Cafe with a grand opening event.

Currently, the Food Bank operates 22 Kids Cafe sites with generous funding from Capital One and the Crystal Charity Ball.

The Kids Cafe sites provide a nutritious evening meal to children enrolled in after school programs established by Food Bank member agencies. Over 4,882 meals a week are served to 1,600 children in Dallas and Denton counties. The Kids Cafe program ensures children in the Food Bank service area don’t go to bed hungry. Last year 258,257 meals were served through the Kids Cafe program.

Children's Programs

For more information, email our Child Programs Coordinator, Jennifer Bussell or call her at 214.330.1396 ext. 129.

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Main Program

The Food Bank’s Main Program gathers donations of both perishable and nonperishable food as well as nonfood items. These items are then distributed to North Texas area food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, after-school programs, senior citizen centers and other social service centers.

Nonfood items include household products such as diapers, personal hygiene items, detergents and cleaning supplies that cannot be purchased with food stamps.

Each month, the Food Bank’s Main Program transfers items to Member Agency pantries distributing food to more than 57,000 families. Area homeless shelters, day-care centers, soup kitchens and other facilities provide 503,000 on-site meals and snacks each month including breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Main Program Fact Sheet

For more information about donating to the Main Program, email our Food Sourcing Manager, William Daniels or call him at 214.330.1396 ext. 134.

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Nutrition Education/Operation Frontline

The North Texas Food Bank is one of the few Food Banks in the United States that offers nutrition education classes. The Food Bank has two registered dietitians on staff, including Kaitlin Hammond, RD, Nutrition Education Manager and Katherine Lindholm, RD, Nutrition Education Coordinator. They work with our Member Agencies and their clients in providing classes on nutrition, healthy cooking, food budgeting and food safety. Recipes, groceries, prizes and food samples are all provided during each class along with educational tools for interactive learning.

Share Our Strength’s Operation Frontline is a national nutrition education program promoting short and long-term solutions to hunger by mobilizing volunteer chefs and nutritionists to teach people the cooking and nutrition skills they need to make healthy food choices on a low-income budget.

In September of 1996 the North Texas Food Bank partnered with Share Our Strength to provide the Operation Frontline program in Dallas. Since then over 2,876 adults and youth have received free nutrition education classes

Operation Frontline has six different curricula to meet the needs of various populations. Kids Up Front, the youth component of Operation Frontline, conducted its first class in the fall of 1998. To this date, over 25 classes have been taught and served over 300 children in low-income areas.

For more information or to volunteer, email our Nutrition Education Coordinator, Katherine Lindholm, RD, or call her at 214.431.4718. To contact the Nutrition Education Manager email Kaitlin Hammond, RD or call her at 214.347.9608.

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Texas Second Chance

In December 1997, the North Texas Food Bank formed a collaborative partnership with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Texas Second Chance allows selected prison confinees to volunteer at the Food Bank up to four days a week. On average, 20 inmates work at the Food Bank during each visit. As volunteer laborers the confinees receive job skills training in computer operations, receptionist work, warehousing or food service. This training vastly improves their ability to successfully reintegrate into the community.

In fiscal year 2006, the participants in Texas Second Chance provided more than 20,000 hours of community service to the Food Bank.

For more information, email our Office Manager Lori Kachner or call her at 214.330.1396 ext. 108.

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Summer Food Service

The Summer Food Service Program ensures that children in low-income areas receive nutritious meals during summer vacations when they do not have access to school breakfast or lunch programs.  The meals increase attendance at programs that provide learning opportunities that are safe and fun. 

For more information, email our Child Programs Coordinator, Jennifer Bussell or call her at 214.330.1396 ext. 129.

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