Food insecurity is on the rise in North Texas, prompting local organizations to take action to support children during the holiday season. The Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) and the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) are expanding their meal programs to ensure that children have access to nutritious food during the Thanksgiving break.
FWISD Holiday Meal Program Launches
The FWISD Child Nutrition Services is implementing a holiday meal program specifically designed to provide meals for students during the Thanksgiving break. This initiative addresses a significant gap in food access when families lose the reliable source of meals offered at school. “We just felt that it was a need in our district,” stated Pamela Watson, director of Child Nutrition Services. She highlighted that changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits have exacerbated hunger levels among children in Texas, making it crucial to provide meals during school breaks.
The program is entirely funded through the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, enabling school districts to supply meals during extended breaks. Recent data from Feeding America indicates that nearly 450,000 children in North Texas are currently facing food insecurity, with school breaks presenting a heightened risk due to the loss of campus-provided meals.
Meals will be available at eight Fort Worth schools from November 24 to November 26, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Any child under 18, whether enrolled in FWISD or not, can receive a meal at the following locations:
– Alice Contreras Elementary, 4100 Lubbock Ave.
– C.C. Moss Elementary, 4108 Eastland St.
– Briscoe Elementary, 2751 Yuma Ave.
– Manuel Jara Elementary, 2100 Lincoln Ave.
– Clifford Davis Elementary, 4300 Campus Drive
– Diamond Hill Elementary, 2000 Dewey St.
– Maude I. Logan Elementary, 2300 Dillard St.
NTFB’s Thanksgiving Distribution Efforts
In parallel with the FWISD initiative, the North Texas Food Bank is partnering with UNT Dallas and various retailers to conduct a large-scale food distribution event aimed at assisting over 1,000 families ahead of Thanksgiving. Jeff Smith from NTFB emphasized that rising inflation and recent government actions impacting SNAP benefits have increased food insecurity in the community. “We see a lot of families struggling to make ends meet,” Smith said. “They’re having to make tough choices on purchasing food or paying rent or for child care.”
According to Every Texan, child food insecurity in the Dallas-Fort Worth region stands at 20.9%, a notable increase from the previous year. In Dallas County alone, over 162,000 children are experiencing hunger, highlighting the dire need for support during the holiday season.
Smith noted that holidays should be a time of joy for families, not a period of uncertainty regarding food access. “During the holiday season, families who rely on free or reduced meals may need to provide up to 10 additional meals per week for each child,” he explained. “That is a heavy burden for households already struggling with rising costs.”
The NTFB distribution will take place from 9 a.m. to noon on November 22, 2023, at the UNT Dallas campus, aiming to alleviate some of the pressures faced by families during this festive season.
As local organizations come together to combat food insecurity, the focus remains on ensuring that no child goes hungry during the holidays.
