North Texas Food Bank - Other Programs and Services

Other Programs and Services

Agency University Agency University is a program for Member Agencies of the NTFB. The program provides professional training for increasing agency capacity, enhancing food programs and leveraging their resources. In NTFB’s 2011 fiscal year, Member Agencies could choose from 8 different courses taught by professionals in the fields of health and nutrition, community gardening, grant writing, finance, fund development, and PR/marketing. Participants can receive continuing education college credits from El Centro Community College in Dallas, Texas.

Charitable Produce Center Founded in 1994, the Charitable Produce Center was designed to transform the large amount of waste in the fresh produce market into a source of nourishment for hungry North Texans. The Food Bank extended this concept in 1999 with a grant from Kraft Foods, Inc., by developing the Rural Produce Initiative to distribute fresh produce to Member Agencies outside of Dallas County each week. In Fiscal Year 2011, the program distributed 6.8 million pounds of produce throughout all 13 counties in the North Texas Food Bank's service area. As part of NTFB’s new ReThink Hunger initiative to truly understand the causes, effects and ultimately find the cure for the hunger epidemic we face within our community, the North Texas Food Bank is committed to distributing more fresh produce to those in need. In the current fiscal year, NTFB is on target to distribute 12 million pounds of fresh produce to its network of Member Agencies, community partners and local elementary schools (update from Isaac Burren).

Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) In 2000, the North Texas Food Bank became the first Commodities Supplemental Food Program (also known locally as People and Nutrition, or PAN) distributor in Texas. The program provides Senior Care Packages with surplus USDA commodities for low income Dallas County residents who meet certain requirements, such as being 60 years old or older, children under six not receiving aid from WIC (Women, Infants and Children Program), or pregnant or postpartum women not receiving assistance from WIC. Each month, nearly 8,500 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, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Catholic Charities of Dallas and the North Texas Food Bank.

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 NTFB Member 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. Construction of a new 3,000-square-foot (280 m2) kitchen at the food bank was completed in February 2002.

Food for Families Food for Families is a cooperative effort between the North Texas Food Bank and more than 27 Member Agencies. Pre-qualified clients of participating Member Agencies are issued a voucher for specific food distribution. Clients meet Member Agency volunteers at a specific parking lot at a predetermined time. A drive-through line is organized and Member Agency volunteers give food directly to clients from NTFB trucks. In Fiscal Year 2011, more than 631,529 pounds of food were distributed to more than 9,904 families and 38,241 individuals.

Food 4 Kids The Food 4 Kids program provides backpacks full of nonperishable food to chronically hungry children on Friday afternoons to last throughout the weekend. Each backpack meets 2/3 of the nutritional needs for the weekend. The program currently serves over 325 schools in 32 schools districts across Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fannin, Hunt, Rockwall, and Kaufman counties.

Food Stamp Outreach NTFB Coordinators partner with local agencies and food pantries to assist their clients with filing our applications for the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP was previously called the Food Stamps.

Hunger Link Prepared Foods The Dallas Hunger Link collects surplus prepared perishable food from 25 donor hotels, restaurants, cafeterias and other food service kitchens. That food is then frozen in disposable aluminum steam table pans provided by the Food Bank. Drivers then pick up the food in refrigerated Hunger Link trucks and distribute it to on-site meal programs throughout Dallas. In fiscal year 2010, the Hunger Link program collected more than one million pounds of food.

Kids Café The Kids Cafe program provides nutritious and free hot meals to children, who may not have access to food once they leave school, through a variety of after-school programs. The Kids Cafe program began at the North Texas Food Bank in 1998 and currently operates 27 Kids Café sites. More than 245,143 meals were served last year to children in Dallas, Collin and Grayson counties.

Mobile Pantry The Mobile Pantry program provides emergency food boxes that provide enough food for two people to last four days. The program is designed to serve those that are unable to get to a food pantry to receive food.

Nutrition Education/Cooking Matters In 1996 the North Texas Food Bank has partnered with Share Our Strength, a national anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization, to offer Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters. Cooking Matters promotes short and long-term solutions to hunger by providing individuals, parents, and children with the skills they need to make healthy, economical food choices. Culinary professionals, nutritionists and food enthusiasts volunteer their time to teach low-income participants the basics of healthy cooking, nutrition, food budgeting, and food safety.

Summer Food Service Program The Summer Feeding program provides nutritious meals to children in low-income communities during the summer months.

School Pantry The School Pantry program is one of the NTFB’s newest ways to fight childhood hunger. The program distributes a variety of non-perishable items and fresh produce to students and their families within the school setting. These distributions take place monthly, both during and after school in order to maximize the students and families’ access to nutritious food. Each student that visits the school pantry walks away with over 40 pounds of food. The school pantry program has already benefitted over 600 students in DISD. (Paul suggested we add a CACFP section and this was Brad Wendling’s response.)

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) NTFB Coordinators partner with local agencies and food pantries to assist their clients with filing applications for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps). In Fiscal Year 2011, SNAP field staff assisted in the completion of 5,231 applications.

Texas Second Chance In 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. As volunteer laborers, they receive job skills training in food service. Last year participants in the Texas Second Chance program provided more than 10,770 hours of community service to the Food Bank.