People Are Struggling: Tarrant County Food Bank Sees Surge In Food Insecurity Amid Inflation Woes
FORT WORTH, Texas â Right after getting out of work, on a Wednesday evening, Alondra Milanâs first order of business was getting in line at the Herman Clark Stadium in Fort Worth.
The lifelong Tarrant County resident spent more than an hour in her car, waiting for a chance to get some free groceries from the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
âItâs a long wait but honestly, every little bit helps,â Milan said.
Milan was one of hundreds of people who showed up at the mega mobile market thatâs held on a weekly basis.
The 24-year-old currently lives with her parents, brother and nephew. All of them have jobs, but itâs still tough to consistently put food on the table.
âWith inflation, you know, everything is like four times more than it used to cost,â Milan added.
Milan says her family started making trips to food distribution sites during the height of the pandemic.
Milanâs father, at the time, was retired. She says he ended up getting a job to help them keep up with bills, groceries and other expenses but even then, it hasnât been enough.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor says this is the largest inflation increase in 40 years. In a July 18 report, the department says that consumer prices are up 9.1% compared to this time in 2021.
As a result, the Tarrant Area Food Bank has been scrambling to meet the high demand theyâre seeing from their 13-county area.
At the moment, TAFB is providing about a million meals a week.
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North Texas Food Bank Faces Similar Needs
The supply chain certainly impacts our access to donated food right now. Therefore, were purchasing three times more food than we ever have, North Texas Food Bank President and CEO Trisha Cunningham said.
Before the pandemic, the North Texas Food Bank told WFAA it provided access to roughly 7.3 million meals on average per month.
Last month? NTFB said it did more than 13 million.
Were also seeing another perfect storm where were seeing the increase of food needs, but our donations have also gone down, Cunningham said.
Also, kids are on summer break, which only adds to the communitys food needs.
Summers the hungriest time of the year. Most families are having to provide 10 extra meals per child of school age that they didnt have to provide during the school year, Cunningham said.
Click here to donate or volunteer with the North Texas Food Bank.
Tarrant Area Food Bank Giving Away Half The Regular Groceries Due To Low Food Supply
Tarrant Area Food Bank giving away half the regular groceries due to low food supply
The Tarrant Area Food Bank is burning through more than $1 million every month, and its now giving people less food because donations are down. Each car receives a 50-pound box of food with essentials like milk, bread and fruit. But its roughly half of what the food bank would typically provide.
FORT WORTH, Texas Food costs are hitting food banks hard.
The Tarrant Area Food Bank is burning through more than $1 million every month, and its now giving people less food because donations are down.
With inflation at a 40-year high, many families in Tarrant County are struggling to make ends meet.
Wednesday, at Fort Worths Herman Clark Stadium, people in thousands of cars lined up hours early determined not to miss out on a grocery lifeline from the TAFB.
The TAFB helped people like Diana Dominguez, a first-timer with three hungry kids at home.
Little bit of needed a little bit of help, yeah, she said.
Even repeat customers like Donald Shaw still new to needing the help. His first time asking for food was just last month when it became too difficult to afford rising food costs on a fixed income.
This really help me on my bills, he said. That way, I can spend less on food and apply my income to my utilities and such.
What we earn is not enough for the whole family, he said. So we have to come and get some help.
Roughly 60-70 volunteers are running Wednesdays operation.
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An Example Of How It Works
Joe and Laura want to give back to their hometown by putting their money where it will do the most good. They establish a $25,000 donor advised fund with a community foundation. The couple receives a federal income tax charitable deduction for the amount of the gift. They also get all the time they need to decide which charities to support. After researching community needs with the foundation’s staff, Joe and Laura recommend grants for Tarrant Area Food Bank and one other charity. The foundation presents the charities with checks from the Megan Fund, which Joe and Laura named in honor of their granddaughter. Joe and Laura are delighted to start this personal legacy of giving.
Helping Community Families In Need
Tarrant Area Food Banks Community Resource Specialists help families and individuals apply for food assistance, financial assistance and healthcare.
Contact our Community Resource Specialists today at 1-866-430-6143 for help with applying for the programs below. View income guidelines for SNAP and CHIP.
SNAP
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP helps low-income and temporarily unemployed people purchase nutritious foods. An individual or a family may be eligible for SNAP even if they own a home, dont have a mailing address or are undocumented.
CHIP
Childrens Health Insurance Program or CHIP provides health insurance coverage for Texas children from low-income families.
TANF
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF provides temporary financial assistance for families with children under age 18 while parents are seeking employment
Womens Health Program
Provides coverage for an annual family-planning exam and contraception at no cost for uninsured Texas women between the ages of 18 and 44
MEPD
Medicaid for the Elderly and People with Disabilities or MEPD provides care for adults age 65 or older, or disabled who need help with their daily activities in their home, nursing home or other facility
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About Tarrant Area Food Bank
Tarrant Area Food Bank was founded in 1982 by a group of Fort Worth residents concerned about hunger in their community. It is now the primary source of donated food for hunger-relief charities and feeding programs in Tarrant and 12 surrounding counties, serving 1,000,000 meals each week.
60,000,000
Nutritious meals provided in a year
Direct Feed And Check Donations
Fight hunger all year long. Sign up for our DIRECT FEED program to set up automatic donations from your checking account or savings account.
If you sign up for DIRECT FEED with your checking/savings account, please mail your completed Authorization Agreement for Direct Payments form to:
Elvira Reyes, Donor Database Manager Tarrant Area Food Bank 2525 Cullen Street Fort Worth, TX 76107
If you would like to donate by check, please make checks payable to Tarrant Area Food Bank. Checks can be mailed to the address above.
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Harness The Giving Power Of A Private Foundation
Get More From Your DAF
Ensure youve made the most of your donor advised fundfor your family and for Tarrant Area Food Bank. Download the FREE guide Maximize the Impact of Donor Advised Funds.
A donor advised fund , which is like a charitable savings account, gives you the flexibility to recommend how much and how often money is granted to Tarrant Area Food Bank and other qualified charities. You can recommend a grant or recurring grants now to make an immediate impact or use your fund as a tool for future charitable gifts.
Tarrant County Free Food Pantries
Fort Worth and Tarrant County Texas residents have food banks, soup kitchens and free pantries that operate across the county that they can call for help. They give out supplies including groceries, personal toiletries, snacks for children, hot meals, and bags of free canned or perishable food. Some food pantries near you are located in churches, some in local non-profit organizations, and some in government offices. Find information below, as well as a referral number at the bottom of the page for more locations.
Residents of the area can not only call a food bank or pantry for groceries, perishable or nonperishable items, and free food, but they can also learn about other assistance programs. As there are resources that may be available to them. For example, some of the charity organizations as well as churches may offer clothing or limited financial assistance for bills and rent, in addition to free food.
Many have social workers that can help families apply for food stamps or other government benefits, including WIC vouchers or SNAP food stamps. Food pantries will often provide meals around the holidays, including Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are also . If they do not have aid they can offer themselves, the agencies may very well be able to refer you to other organizations in the Arlington, Fort Worth, and Tarrant County region.
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Tarrant Area Food Bank Running Low On Food Donations While Demand Increases
Tarrant Area Food Bank running low on food donations while demand increases
TAFB says they are struggling right now. Fewer donations over the last two months have depleted their food supply. And its not just one product. Its all of them.
FORT WORTH, Texas – The Tarrant Area Food Bank says dwindling donations and greater demand is creating a volatile situation.
Shelves in its warehouses are bare, and it’s giving people who need food less food.
TAFB says they are struggling right now. Fewer donations over the last two months have depleted their food supply. And its not just one product. Its all of them.
With inflation at a 41-year-high, many are trying everything they can to stretch a dollar.
That includes the 170 retail partners like grocery stores that normally donate food daily to the Tarrant Area Food Bank.
“Theyre hanging onto their product a little bit longer than they normally would to keep their shelves full,” said TAFB President Julie Butner.
Retail partners typically provide the vast majority of the food for the TAFB. And over the last two months, the food bank has seen nearly a quarter of its food donations from retailers disappear.
Butner calls it a perfect storm of a shortage of funding and donations along with ongoing supply chain issues.
“I talked to our food industry partners, and theyre having the same issues where they are not able to get certain products that theyre used to carrying on their shelves,” she said.
Wills And Living Trusts
In as little as one sentence, you can complete your gift. This type of donation to Tarrant Area Food Bank in your will or living trust, helps ensure that we continue our mission for years to come.
Example: I, , of , give, devise and bequeath to Tarrant Area Food Bank for its unrestricted use and purpose.
If you include Tarrant Area Food Bank in your plans, please use our legal name and federal tax ID.
Legal Name: Tarrant Area Food BankAddress: 2600 Cullen St., Fort Worth, TX 76107Federal Tax ID Number: 75-1822473
Contact Us
For more information on legacy giving opportunities, please contact Stephen Raeside at 817-857-7125 or .
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Thank You To Our Sponsor
The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation
Tarrant Area Food Bank is currently accepting proposals for an additional RED Bus vehicle. Please contact Frank Ocampo at 817-857-7126 for more information.
The RED Bus will provide community resource assistance, nutrition education and nutritious food to communities with high levels of food insecurity. We will facilitate the delivery of these resources through benefits enrollment , emergency food relief, and leveraging partnerships across critical zip codes needing high levels of food support.
If you are interested in hosting the RED Bus at your location, please review and agree to the notice. Please note: The form is a request, and its submission does not guarantee the RED Bus will be scheduled.
Criteria MUST submit request at least 2 weeks prior to the event. MUST be in the Fort Worth, TX area ONLY. MUST be a community event open to the public. Event MUST be a minimum of 4 hours long and no longer than 8 hours. MUST allow TAFB staff to provide assistance with benefits such as- SNAP, TANF, Chip, Medicaid/ Savings Program. Product provided by TAFB for the event cannot be sold, used for community meals, or used to raise money.
We appreciate your support of our mission and encourage you to explore the many other opportunities to help us in the fight against hunger.
Tarrant Area Food Bank
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Turn Your Gift Into An Opportunity
Generosity comes in many forms, and it’s often the best way for you to support important causes that matter the most in your life. When you give to Tarrant Area Food Bank, you help us make a difference. We understand how satisfying it is to be part of a greater good.
Giving is not one-size-fits all at Tarrant Area Food Bank. There are a number of affordable and convenient ways for you to make an impact. The most important thing to know is that we will work with you to find a charitable plan that lets you provide for your family and support Tarrant Area Food Bank.
We encourage you to join with other members of our community to make a difference. Start here by learning the different gift options available to you. It’s easy to get started today.
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Tarrant Area Food Bank Opens Its Doors In Weatherford
The Tarrant Area Food Bank opens a new hybrid facility in Weatherford.
Kelsey Shoemaker
President and CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank Julie Butner cuts ribbon to open new facility.
The Tarrant County Food Bank stretched itself from Fort Worth to Weatherford with its new food bank facility that celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting April 14.
Through partnerships, the hybrid food bank will provide resources including a mission market pantry provided by H-E-B, an on-site cooking class led by volunteers, and a garden that will teach the community how to grow plants and what to do with the food once its accessible.
The reason why we did the hybrid model differently here is that we wanted a distribution center but also a pantry and agency where neighbors in need can come and receive service, president and CEO of the Tarrant Area Food Bank, Julie Butner, says. We did this because it is in a rural and remote area and its hard for people to have reliable transportation or rely solely on public transportation.
The new 80,000 square-foot food bank is located in Parker County. The reason for them choosing Weatherford as their new food bank location is because of its rural and remote location.
Kelsey Shoemaker
Tarrant Area Food Bank In Need Of Donations Amid Rising Demand And Inflation
FORT WORTH Americans are feeling the squeeze of soaring inflation and the impact is trickling down to non-profits.
The Tarrant Area Food Bank is in desperate need of donations as the demand for help increases and the typical pool of donors dwindles.
The food bank has had to dip into its own funds to bridge the gap.
We had a budget year-to-date of $1.4 million dollars to spend on food and we have already spent over $4.5 million of that budget. So, were struggling in different ways and doing the best we can to provide for families who are also struggling, said Butner.
Right now, the food bank said the two biggest needs are money and time.
If you have the funds and the wherewithal and can donate, wed love to have your donation. If you dont, thats okaywe could use your time. Were looking for volunteers because were seeing so many more people in our lines, we are in desperate need of people to come out and help us distribute food into the community, she said.
Click here for information on how to donate.
Copyright 2021. WBAP/KLIF News. All Rights Reserved.
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New Hub Could Help Tarrant Area Food Bank Distribute 300 Million Pounds Of Fresh Produce
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If all goes to plan, Fort Worths newest agriculture hub could distribute 300 million pounds of fresh produce across North Texas by 2026. The hub will go a long way toward fighting food insecurity in the area.
The $16 million, 80,000-square-foot distribution center on North Vacek Street will be transformed into an agricultural hub with the goal of making fresh produce 40% of the food banks total distribution, up from the current 22%. Spearheaded by the Tarrant Area Food Bank, this new distribution center will allow the food bank to process fruits and vegetables from the Valley and Mexico more efficiently.
, president and chief executive officer of the Tarrant Area Food Bank, said this new, more extensive distribution center will help get produce out into the community faster.
Those who dont have access to produce are more likely to have one of those top five chronic diseases: diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer, she said. And so thats why its important to us as a food bank to get behind providing produce to the community because it has a direct impact on the people who live in those communities.
Fort Worths proximity to Arkansas and Oklahoma could also prove useful to the food bank, as each state has food hubs run by a local food bank. Arkansas has a chicken hub and Oklahoma has a beef hub.
Ways to Give Back
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