Fact Sheets

Main Program

The Main Program of the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) collects food donations and distributes them to area food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, day-care centers and other programs for those in need.

MISSION:
The North Texas Food Bank passionately pursues a hunger-free community.

NEED:
It is a simple and disturbing fact that Texas has more hungry families than any other state (Source: USDA Study.) One in five children in Texas live in poverty. Forty-six percent of households with hungry children are considered the “working poor” with at least one adult having a job, but not earning enough to pay rent and buy food. Individuals who benefit from food stamps in Texas receive an average of $81.61 a month, per person. (Data sources: America’s Second Harvest and the Center for Public Policy Priorities.) More specifically, in the Food Bank’s 13-county service area, approximately 377,600 (13%) percent of the population lives below the poverty line. And, more than 164,000 (43%) percent of those living in poverty are children under age 18.

SERVICE:
The Food Bank procures donated surplus food and transfers it in usable quantities to over 400 nonprofit Member Agencies that serve Dallas, Denton, Collin, Fannin, Rockwall, Hunt, Grayson, Kaufman, Ellis, Navarro, Lamar, Delta and Hopkins counties.

IMPACT:
Since founded in 1982, the NTFB has distributed 293 million pounds of food.

1. 32 million pounds of food were distributed in FY05, an increase of 14%.

2. On average each month in 2005, the Main Program distributed food to 48,000 families (an increase of 45% since 2001) through Agency pantries, and served over 465,000 meals/snacks through on site meal programs.

3. Largest food bank in Texas based on distributed pounds, and 9th in the A2H network. (19 Texas A2H food banks/rescue organizations; over 200 food banks in A2H network)

4. Consistently ranked in the Top 10 nonprofit organizations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (as listed in the Dallas Business Journal).

EFFECTIVENESS:
Each $1 donated = 5 meals (or $10 worth of food).

$ .97 out of each $1 helps feed hungry North Texas families.