People need to eat. It’s as simple as that. It should not be a challenge, it should not be political, and it definitely should be happening with the help of each of us. No one – and I mean NO ONE – should go to bed hungry because they cannot afford food. This is especially true for children, who literally have no control over the food that comes into their household. The folks at the Tarrant Area Food Bank share this thinking, thank goodness. Because of them and generous donors, many in North Texas will have food on the table this holiday season – a season that became even more drastic in light of, let’s just say differences among some powerful folks.
TAFB is one of the largest charitable organizations in a 13-county service area (Bosque, Cooke, Denton, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant, and Wise). Through a hunger-relief network of more than 500 partner pantries, community and faith organizations, volunteers, and donors, they provide food assistance and nutrition education. Across their service area, more than 572,000 people, including over 187,000 children, are experiencing food insecurity. On a typical week, they distribute about 1.5 million nutritious meals.
“Even before the federal shutdown, our partners were reporting higher demand from first-time visitors, especially working families in ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) households where a missed paycheck, an emergency medical bill, or another unexpected crisis can lead to financial hardship and food insecurity,” TAFB President/CEO Julie Butner said. “As a member of Feeding America, we are focused on alleviating hunger and improving health in our community.”
An estimated more than 42,000 military and federal employees in the region may have been affected by the shutdown, TAFB officials noted. The shutdown also paused SNAP benefits starting Nov. 1, and though they are back to being fully distributed, many families are still playing catch-up.
The average SNAP household receives about $387 per month. Also, recent federal policy changes have compounded the situation by reducing nutrition assistance locally, including a loss of more than $5 million to the TAFB and the elimination of SNAP-Ed programming, Butner added, putting additional pressure on the network of 500-plus partner agencies.
Butner said in response, TAFB is doubled sourcing and distribution where capacity allows, adding targeted mobile markets for neighbors affected by the shutdown, and continuing SNAP application assistance so families could take next steps as soon as benefits resumed. They are also replenishing inventory ahead of the holidays to meet higher demand.
“Community need remains high, so we rely on ongoing donations and partnerships to keep food flowing to families,” she said. “What we need most right now are emergency resources: funding to purchase truckloads of food and volunteer power to move it quickly through a network that is built to scale.” Butner said the goal is really a simple one, “Everyone should have access to the food they need this holiday season.”
And we can all help make that happen. While it might sound cliche’ it holds true nonetheless, every little bit helps.
I’m reminded of the little girl throwing starfish into the ocean as a man walks by on the beach. He asks her what she is doing and she tells him, to which he says, “But there are so many, you can’t possibly make a difference in all their lives. Calmly, she tosses another back and says, “It made a difference for that one.”
If we all think in such terms, small amounts become big. Five dollars suddenly becomes fifty, then fifty became five hundred and that becomes five thousand, and so on. Every $1 donated to TAFB helps provide about five meals. Also, every volunteer hour helps produce roughly 150 meals.
Butner said they are consistently told by families they need healthy groceries that stretch their budgets: fresh produce, protein, and shelf-stable staples, along with clear information on where to go for help (tafb.org/find-food). “Working families are stretching their budgets to the breaking point. The good news is our community shows up,” Butner said. “With targeted emergency investments, we can replenish shelves, move more food through our network, and make sure every neighbor has what they need to get through this difficult time.”
