UNT Students Tackle Food Insecurity in North Texas
Tax deductible
Who we are:
We are a dedicated group of students from the University of North Texas, united by our passion for making a real difference in our community. As part of our degree program, we are raising funds to support the North Texas Food Bank, a remarkable local charity devoted to reducing food insecurity in our area.
Your generous donation can help ensure that fewer Texans go hungry and empower us to apply our academic learning to meaningful public service. By contributing to this essential cause, you can join us in making a significant impact on our community. Together, we can create a brighter, more secure future for our fellow Texans. Please consider supporting this vital mission!
What is North Texas Food Bank?
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), founded in 1982, is a nonprofit hunger relief organization. It distributes donated and purchased food through nearly 500 partner agencies across 13 counties. The NTFB aims to provide access to 92 million nutritious meals annually by 2025 and operates a state-of-the-art volunteer and distribution center in Plano, Texas. NTFB is a member of Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and local meal programs
Who Does NTFB Help?
NTFB provides access to nutritious meals for hungry children, seniors, and families across 13 counties in North Texas. Last year, they facilitated almost 77 million meals. Despite a booming Texas economy, 1 in 8 Texans face food insecurity, affecting children, seniors, veterans, people with disabilities, and working families. According to a recent Feeding America study, nearly 5 million people face hunger in Texas, with 777,690 in the NTFB service area, over one-third of whom are children. Texas now has a food insecurity rate of 16.4%, leading the nation.
How your donation will be used
Funds will directly be donated to NTFB to support their efforts in distributing nutritious meals to those in need.
Why NTFB matters?
Team Community Catalyst is very familiar with community service and giving back. When getting to know one another we spoke about our different experiences with community service.
"I spoke about the times I volunteered at Minnie's Food Pantry. I first volunteered at Minnie’s Food Pantry in 4th grade. My grandma's church frequently volunteered at the food pantry and this time me and my mom came to lend a hand. At first I thought it would just be packing food but it was way more impactful than just packing food. When people started showing up I was surprised at how long the line was. We started to give people in line water and to my surprise also a hug. My first couple hugs I was skeptical but as I kept going down the line and seeing how grateful these people are for us helping them was an experience that has stayed with me forever. I asked my mom to go back time and time again. Fast forward to now I have a desire to make volunteering a part of my lifestyle and to a work environment where we have dedicated days to all give back."
"My experience with food banks comes from the consumer side of things. Growing up, I lived well below the poverty line where most days the only meal I’d get was the free lunch at school. We almost never had a pantry, fridge, or freezer even close to being full and fresh foods were almost unheard of. Feeding 4 kids was difficult and sometimes we couldn’t make ends meet. Every Wednesday and Sunday our church would hand out small boxes of canned goods and occasionally fresh fruits and veggies that people could come pick up. Most weeks we would have to take home these boxes and try to feed 6 people with the ingredients provided. Sometimes that wasn’t enough so we would have to look for local food banks but they weren’t reliable either due to them being short staffed or not receiving any donations. We relied on community engagement and the kindness of others to eat. Eventually we had become more financially secure and didn’t have to rely on community donations. My experiences with food banks has left me with a deep appreciation for the power of community support and the impact of civic engagement in addressing food insecurity."
How you can find more information
Website: https://ntfb.org/
Address: Perot Family Campus 3677 Mapleshade Lane Plano Texas, 75075
Social Media:
References:
North Texas Food Bank |. (n.d.). North Texas Food Bank. https://ntfb.org/
Texas Tops Nation in Hunger Crisis, North Texas Food Bank Serves Fourth-Largest Area According to New Feeding America Study. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2024, from https://ntfb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MMG2024.pdf
Fundraising team (4)
Christopher Box
Organizer
Plano, TX
North Texas Food Bank
Beneficiary
Babar Hillfram
Team member
Kayla Haught
Team member
Payton Walker
Team member