Tarrant Area Food Bank

TAFB EMPOWERS OUR COMMUNITIES TO ALLEVIATE HUNGER BY PROVIDING FOOD, EDUCATION AND RESOURCES.

TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK, FOUNDED IN 1982, IS A PRIMARY SOURCE OF DONATED FOOD FOR APPROXIMATELY 330 HUNGER RELIEF AGENCIES AND FEEDING PROGRAMS IN FORT WORTH, TEXAS AND 13 SURROUNDING COUNTIES. IN FY 2021, TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK PROVIDED ACCESS TO 54 MILLION NUTRITIOUS MEALS THROUGH ITS NETWORK OF PARTNER AGENCIES, MOBILE SOLUTIONS, NUTRITION EDUCATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS AS OUR COMMUNITIES CONTINUED TO DEAL WITH THE PANDEMIC AND THE RISE IN FOOD INSECURITY. THESE MEALS WERE PROVIDED IN THE FORM OF BAGS OF GROCERIES FOR CLIENTS TO TAKE HOME, HOT MEALS SERVED ON SITE OR HEALTHY SNACKS SERVED DURING A GROUP ACTIVITY.

WHEN SCHOOLS TRANSITIONED TO VIRTUAL CLASSROOMS AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING CEASED, TAFB SHIFTED OUR CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FOOD INSECURITY AND CHILDREN'S MENTAL WELL-BEING. WE DEVELOPED A FOOD INSECURITY EDUCATION MODULE FOR THE JORDAN ELIZABETH HARRIS FOUNDATION AND THE HOPE SQUAD PROGRAM, A SCHOOL-BASED PEER SUPPORT GROUP. THE CURRICULUM IS NOW AVAILABLE NOT ONLY IN 89 SCHOOLS IN OUR SERVICE AREA, BUT WAS ALSO ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL HOPE SQUAD, REACHING THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS NATIONWIDE. TAFB PARTNERED WITH THE COWTOWN CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES FOR LIFE AND FITNESS PROGRAM BY OFFERING KID-FRIENDLY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS AT 78 VIRTUAL RUNNING EVENTS HOSTED AT TITLE 1 SCHOOLS. WE ALSO EXPANDED OUR SCHOOL PANTRY PROGRAM, GROWING TO 47 BRICK AND MORTAR PANTRIES AND PRODUCED KID-FRIENDLY READY-TO-EAT MEALS IN OUR ONSITE PRODUCTION KITCHEN.

IN FY2021, TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK MADE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO OUR ENDING HUNGER PROGRAMS, LARGELY DUE TO THE CONTINUATION OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WE ENHANCED OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS BY RELAUNCHING FOODSERVICE JOB TRAINING THAT PROVIDES AN ACCREDITATION THROUGH THE AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION AND PAID ON THE JOB LEARNING. WE SHIFTED IN-PERSON NUTRITION CLASSES AND GARDENING WORKSHOPS TO VIRTUAL PLATFORMS. WE ENHANCED OUR CHILDREN'S INITIATIVES TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY WHEN WE COULD NO LONGER SPONSOR AFTER SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS DUE TO PANDEMIC ISSUES. WE INCREASED OUR FOCUS ON BUILDING HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS RESULTING IN TWO BRICK AND MORTAR HEALTHCARE PANTRIES AND EXPANDED NUTRITION EDUCATION AT HEALTHCARE CLINICS THROUGH VIRTUAL PRODUCE AND ACTIVITY PRESCRIPTION (PARX) SUPPORT GROUPS. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN EARLY 2021, TAFB FORMED A COLLABORATION WITH THE CULINARY SCHOOL OF FORT WORTH AND TASTE PROJECT, A PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN COMMUNITY RESTAURANT AND REBRANDED THE FOODSERVICE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM AS FORT WORX. SUPPORTED BY WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS FOR TARRANT COUNTY, PARTICIPANTS ARE PAID AN HOURLY WAGE FOR ON-THE-JOB LEARNING, SUPPLEMENTED BY TAFB. APPRENTICES SPEND 8 WEEKS LEARNING CULINARY FUNDAMENTALS AND COMPLETE THE AMERICAN CULINARY FEDERATION PRACTICAL AND EXAM TO BECOME CERTIFIED FUNDAMENTAL COOKS. THEY CONTINUE HONING CULINARY SKILLS IN AN 8-WEEK EXTERNSHIP AT TASTE COMMUNITY RESTAURANT AND RECEIVE JOB PLACEMENT ASSISTANCE AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AT THE CULINARY SCHOOL OF FORT WORTH. IN 2021, FORT WORX HOSTED 5 COHORTS AND GRADUATED 28 CERTIFIED FUNDAMENT COOKS. THE JOB PLACEMENT RATE IS 85% AND THE AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE IS $15.80 - $25.00. HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS TAFB BELIEVES THAT FOOD IS HEALTH AND ADDED TWO REGISTERED DIETITIANS TO OUR PROGRAM STAFF IN 2021, INCLUDING A CHEF INSTRUCTOR RDN WHO IS ALSO A CERTIFIED CULINARY MEDICINE SPECIALIST AND A HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER RD WHO IS ALSO A CERTIFIED DIABETES EDUCATOR. THE CORRELATION BETWEEN FOOD AND THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH WAS A PRIORITY FOCUS THAT PRECIPITATED TAFB TO EXPAND OUR ENDING HUNGER SERVICES TO LOCAL HEALTHCARE CLINICS AND HOSPITALS, RESULTING IN TWO BRICK AND MORTAR FOOD PANTRIES AND MONTHLY FOOD DISTRIBUTION EVENTS. TAFB HOSTED 24 VIRTUAL PRODUCE AND ACTIVITY PRESCRIPTION (PARX) SUPPORT GROUPS AND PROVIDED FRESH PRODUCE AS THE INTERVENTION.