North Texas Food Bank
Encyclopedia
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a social benefit organization located in Dallas Texas. The organization distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of nearly 1,000 feeding programs in 13 North Texas counties. The NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, families and seniors through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships.
by securing donations of surplus unmarketable, but wholesome, foods and grocery products for distribution through a network of charitable organizations in 13 North Texas
counties: Dallas, Denton, Collin, Fannin, Rockwall, Hunt, Grayson, Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro, Lamar, Delta and Hopkins. In the first year of operation, the Food Bank distributed 400,000 pounds of food.
Members of the North Texas Food Bank's organizing committee became advocates with members of the Texas Legislature
for the passage of the Good Faith Donor Act, which protects donors from liability of donated product. With the passage of this act in 1983, many potential donors began actively donating.
The North Texas Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America's Food Bank Network. Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, solicits food and grocery products from national suppliers for distribution through more than 200 certified Food Banks nationally. Feeding America also provides Food Banks with operational standards, training, support and inspection, and educates the public and government officials about the nature and solutions to the problem of hunger in the U.S. Based on distribution North Texas Food Bank is ranked 8th nationally among Feeding America food banks].
In 2010, NTFB provided access to over 58 million pounds of food.
Both donated and purchased food our housed in the NTFB’s 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) facility.
North Texas Food Bank trucks pickup food donations from various locations. After being received and sorted by food bank volunteers and employees the food is then distributed to agencies throughout North Texas.
The North Texas Food Bank 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, homeless shelters and other programs that serve people in need.
Charlie Morrison, Pizza Inn, Inc. (Chairman)
Stephen Chase, KPMG, LLP (Chair Elect)
Tom Black, Black, Mann and Graham, LLP
Thomas Huffhines, Community Volunteer
Chris Sliva, Dean Foods
Jon A. Wolkenstein, Grant Thornton, LLP
Julie Yarbrough, Yarbrough Investments
Members at Large
Barry Brundage, Comerica
Eric Bushnell, Walmart
W. Lee Coleman Jr., CB Richard Ellis
John A. Cuellar, Las Tres C’s, Inc., of Dallas
Christina Durovich, Community Volunteer
Mitch Fadel, Rent-a-Center
Jess Hay, Texas Foundation of Higher Education
Gary Huddleston, Kroger Food Stores
Karen Lukin, Whole Foods Market
Rev. Robert E. Price Sr., New Mount Zion Church
Frank Roby, Concero Global
Greg Schaffner, US Food Service
Steve Schenkel, Schepps Dairy
Katherine Stoneham, Junior League of Dallas
Debra Tippett, Cardinal Company
Cynthia Wenban, Lockheed Martin
Connie Yates, Tom Thumb Food and Pharmacy
Carole S. Young, Carole S. Young & Associates
General Counsel
James R. Nelson, DLA Piper US LLP
Jonathan A. Kohl, DLA Piper US LLP
Life Board Members
John Beckert
Jerry Ellis, Community Volunteer
Louise Gartner, Community Volunteer
Bette Perot, Perot Foundation
Teresa Phillips, TPHD, LLC
Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles Concepts
Founders
Ambassador Kathryn Hall, Hall Wines
Liz Minyard, Community Volunteer
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 2010 fiscal year, Agencies could choose from 8 different courses consisting of 24 classes taught by professionals in the fields of health and nutrition, fund development, PR/marketing, grant writing and finance. 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 2008, the program distributed more than 6.4 million pounds of produce throughout all 13 counties in the North Texas Food Bank's service area.
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 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 9,000 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 3000 square feet (278.7 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 Agencies are issued a voucher for specific food distribution. Clients meet Agency volunteers at a specific parking lot at a predetermined time. A drive-through line is organized and Agency volunteers give food directly to clients from NTFB trucks. In fiscal year 2010, more than 800,000 pounds of food were distributed to more than 14,000 families and 59,000 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 contains four meals. 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 serves meals in over 30 locations 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.
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 confines to volunteer at the Food Bank up to four days a week. As volunteer laborers, they receive job skills training in warehousing and food service.
History
The North Texas Food Bank was established in 1982 by Liz Minyard, Kathryn Hall, Jo Curtis and Lorraine Griffin Kircher. Their goal was to address the critical issue of hunger in North TexasNorth Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
by securing donations of surplus unmarketable, but wholesome, foods and grocery products for distribution through a network of charitable organizations in 13 North Texas
North Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
counties: Dallas, Denton, Collin, Fannin, Rockwall, Hunt, Grayson, Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro, Lamar, Delta and Hopkins. In the first year of operation, the Food Bank distributed 400,000 pounds of food.
Members of the North Texas Food Bank's organizing committee became advocates with members of the Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
for the passage of the Good Faith Donor Act, which protects donors from liability of donated product. With the passage of this act in 1983, many potential donors began actively donating.
The North Texas Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America's Food Bank Network. Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization, solicits food and grocery products from national suppliers for distribution through more than 200 certified Food Banks nationally. Feeding America also provides Food Banks with operational standards, training, support and inspection, and educates the public and government officials about the nature and solutions to the problem of hunger in the U.S. Based on distribution North Texas Food Bank is ranked 8th nationally among Feeding America food banks].
In 2010, NTFB provided access to over 58 million pounds of food.
Operations
The North Texas Food Bank allocates all donations by using only 6% of all resources for operation costs which allows 94 cents of every dollar donated to reach the hungry. The organization focuses on providing more nutritious food to the community it serves, becoming a thought leader on the subject of hunger in North Texas and expanding its reach in North Texas.Both donated and purchased food our housed in the NTFB’s 72000 square feet (6,689 m²) facility.
North Texas Food Bank trucks pickup food donations from various locations. After being received and sorted by food bank volunteers and employees the food is then distributed to agencies throughout North Texas.
The North Texas Food Bank 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, homeless shelters and other programs that serve people in need.
Board of Directors
Executive CommitteeCharlie Morrison, Pizza Inn, Inc. (Chairman)
Stephen Chase, KPMG, LLP (Chair Elect)
Tom Black, Black, Mann and Graham, LLP
Thomas Huffhines, Community Volunteer
Chris Sliva, Dean Foods
Jon A. Wolkenstein, Grant Thornton, LLP
Julie Yarbrough, Yarbrough Investments
Members at Large
Barry Brundage, Comerica
Eric Bushnell, Walmart
W. Lee Coleman Jr., CB Richard Ellis
John A. Cuellar, Las Tres C’s, Inc., of Dallas
Christina Durovich, Community Volunteer
Mitch Fadel, Rent-a-Center
Jess Hay, Texas Foundation of Higher Education
Gary Huddleston, Kroger Food Stores
Karen Lukin, Whole Foods Market
Rev. Robert E. Price Sr., New Mount Zion Church
Frank Roby, Concero Global
Greg Schaffner, US Food Service
Steve Schenkel, Schepps Dairy
Katherine Stoneham, Junior League of Dallas
Debra Tippett, Cardinal Company
Cynthia Wenban, Lockheed Martin
Connie Yates, Tom Thumb Food and Pharmacy
Carole S. Young, Carole S. Young & Associates
General Counsel
James R. Nelson, DLA Piper US LLP
Jonathan A. Kohl, DLA Piper US LLP
Life Board Members
John Beckert
Jerry Ellis, Community Volunteer
Louise Gartner, Community Volunteer
Bette Perot, Perot Foundation
Teresa Phillips, TPHD, LLC
Stephan Pyles, Stephan Pyles Concepts
Founders
Ambassador Kathryn Hall, Hall Wines
Liz Minyard, Community Volunteer
Close the Gap
Ending in June 2011, Close the Gap was the organization’s three-year strategic plan to narrow the food gap by providing access to 50 million meals annually. By the end of their 2011 fiscal year (July 2010-June 2011), the organization provided access to 50.5 million meals; exceeding their goal.Other programs and services
Agency UniversityAgency 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 2010 fiscal year, Agencies could choose from 8 different courses consisting of 24 classes taught by professionals in the fields of health and nutrition, fund development, PR/marketing, grant writing and finance. Participants can receive continuing education college credits from El Centro Community College
El Centro College
El Centro College is a community college of the Dallas County Community College District , located at 801 Main Street in downtown Dallas, Texas across Lamar Street from the Bank of America Plaza...
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 2008, the program distributed more than 6.4 million pounds of produce throughout all 13 counties in the North Texas Food Bank's service area.
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 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 9,000 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 3000 square feet (278.7 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 Agencies are issued a voucher for specific food distribution. Clients meet Agency volunteers at a specific parking lot at a predetermined time. A drive-through line is organized and Agency volunteers give food directly to clients from NTFB trucks. In fiscal year 2010, more than 800,000 pounds of food were distributed to more than 14,000 families and 59,000 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 contains four meals. 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 serves meals in over 30 locations 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.
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 confines to volunteer at the Food Bank up to four days a week. As volunteer laborers, they receive job skills training in warehousing and food service.