Tarrant Area Food Bank

TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO ALLEVIATE HUNGER AND IMPROVE HEALTH.

TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK, FOUNDED IN 1982, IS A PRIMARY SOURCE OF DONATED FOOD FOR APPROXIMATELY 450 HUNGER RELIEF AGENCIES AND FEEDING PROGRAMS IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS AND 13 SURROUNDING COUNTIES. IN FY 2023, TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK PROVIDED ACCESS TO 56 MILLION MEALS THROUGH ITS NETWORK OF PARTNER AGENCIES, MOBILE SOLUTIONS, NUTRITION EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. THESE MEALS WERE PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF GROCERIES FOR CLIENTS TO TAKE HOME, HOT MEALS SERVED ON SITE OR HEALTHY SNACKS SERVED DURING A GROUP ACTIVITY.

TAFB LAUNCHED A NEW CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS CHILDHOOD HUNGER, "READY TO LEARN", WHICH INCLUDES YOUTH FEEDING AND YOUTH PROGRAMS THAT FOCUS ON FOOD, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY. THE IN-SCHOOL MARKETS PROVIDE ACCESS TO KID-FRIENDLY, NUTRITIOUS GROCERIES IN LOCAL SCHOOLS, OFFERING CONVENIENCE AND VARIETY TO THE YOUTH AND FAMILIES ON-SITE AT A TITLE I CAMPUS. IN-SCHOOL MARKETS WERE INSTALLED IN 58 SCHOOLS IN FY 23. THE IN-SCHOOL SNACK PROGRAM PROVIDES TITLE I SCHOOLS WITH KID-FRIENDLY SNACKS FOR STUDENTS DURING SCHOOL HOURS AS A SUPPLEMENT IN BETWEEN MEALS. THE HUNGER + HOPE PROGRAM IS A FOOD INSECURITY EDUCATION MODULE DEVELOPED FOR THE HOPE SQUAD PROGRAM, A SCHOOL-BASED PEER SUPPORT GROUP. THE CURRICULUM IS NOW AVAILABLE NOT ONLY IN 100+ SCHOOLS IN OUR SERVICE AREA, BUT WAS ALSO ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL HOPE SQUAD, REACHING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS NATIONWIDE. MOST RECENTLY, WE LAUNCHED OUR AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES AGE-APPROPRIATE NUTRITION, GARDENING, AND FOOD BANKING EDUCATION FOR YOUTH PRE-K - 12TH GRADE AND OUR JUNIOR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM THAT IS AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE READY TO LEAD, SERVE AND ADVOCATE FOR HUNGER ISSUES AFFECTING THEIR COMMUNITY.

IN FY23, OUR COMMUNITY NUTRITION TEAM CONDUCTED OVER 20,000 HOURS OF NUTRITION EDUCATION, TEACHING NEIGHBORS HOW TO COOK NUTRITIOUSLY AND GROW THEIR OWN FOOD. OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN AND FARM PROGRAMS SUPPORTED OVER 50 PARTNER GARDENS, AND WE HARVESTED 2.2 TONS OF FRESH PRODUCE FROM OUR LEARNING GARDEN, KINDRED SPIRITS KITCHEN GARDEN, AND TAFB WEST GARDEN. TAFB LAUNCHED A NEW WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS JOB TRAINING PROGRAM CALLED F.O.R.K. (FORKLIFT OPERATIONS AND RECEIVING KNOWLEDGE) AND CELEBRATED 27 GRADUATES WHO BECAME AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION CERTIFIED FUNDAMENTAL COOKS IN OUR FORT WORX FOODSERVICE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM. GRADUATES RECEIVED JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE WITH VETTED EMPLOYER PARTNERS WHO PAY A LIVING WAGE, OFFER HEALTHCARE BENEFITS, AND HAVE CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS RESULTED IN AN ECONOMIC IMPACT OF $954,480 FOR OUR COMMUNITY. HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS IN FY23, WE CONTINUED DEVELOPING NEW HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOSPITAL SYSTEMS AND MEDICAL CLINICS, STARTED A HEALTHY FOOD BOX HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM FOR HOMEBOUND PATIENTS, AND ESTABLISHED A HEALTHCARE REFERRAL PROCESS CONNECTING PATIENTS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES SUCH AS SNAP, WIC, AND MEDICAID. TAFB'S REGISTERED DIETITIANS PROVIDE NUTRITONAL GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT THROUGH OUR PARX (PRODUCE AND ACTIVITY PRESCRIPTION) PROGRAMMING, TRAIN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS ON HOW TO CONDUCT FOOD INSECURITY SCREENINGS AND ENSURE THEIR PATIENTS ARE CONNECTED TO FOOD AND NUTRITION RESOURCES. VETERAN PROGRAMS TAFB SERVES THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY BY PROVIDING FOOD, NUTRITION EDUCATION, GARDEN PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES AT VETERAN AFFAIRS CLINICS AND THE NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE. OLDER ADULT PROGRAMS SENIORS ARE ONE OF THE MORE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SERVED BY TAFB. WITH MANY SENIORS LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME, THIS POPULATION CAN STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET EACH MONTH. TAFB OFFERS TWO PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS TO ENSURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD. SENIOR SHARES PROVIDE A FARMER'S MARKET STYLE OF DISTRIBUTION TO SENIORS AT COMMUNITY CENTERS, CHURCHES, AND SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEXES. THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM (CSFP), STARTED AT TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK IN 2022 AND GREW IN 2023, IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED FOOD DISTRIBUTION EFFORT THAT PROVIDES A MONTHLY BOX OF FOOD TO LOW-INCOME SENIORS TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND WELL-BEING. EACH MONTH, OVER 2,000 SENIORS IN OUR SERVICE AREA RECEIVE A CSFP BOX CONTAINING 30 POUNDS OF FOOD. THE CSFP BOX CONTAINS A RECIPE OR HANDOUT THAT HELPS THEM BEST UTILIZE THE FOOD IN THEIR BOX FOR THEIR HEALTH NEEDS.