The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) will offer children and teens 18 years old or younger and students with disabilities 21 years old or younger free meals throughout July. Families can go to SummerFood.org or text FOOD or COMIDA to 304-304 to find their closest meal site.
This is the work of the Summer Meals Program administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture in partnership with Feeding Texas. The program is funded by The U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“When schools are closed for the summer, many families are faced with replacing free or reduced priced meals their children receive on campus during the school year—sometimes up to 10 meals per week for each child,” said North Texas Food Bank President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. “In addition to the food available from local food banks, the Summer Meals Program helps ensure that children are nourished during the summer and ready to learn when school starts in August.”
Data collected from Feeding America’s 2024 Map the Meal Gap study records Texas as the leading state in food insecurity. DFW is ranked third in the nation for people experiencing hunger. NTFB serves 25 counties. Within those, there are 1.2 million people facing food insecurity. The study also highlights 436,000 kids in the DFW area at risk of hunger.
“Food banks know that here in Texas, hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation,” said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. “While summer should be a time of fun and relaxation for kids, it can also mean up to 90 days without the reliable school meals so many kids depend on to thrive. That’s why the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Summer Meals Program is so important to our communities.”
It is suggested that families call NTFB to confirm dates, times and details for the meal sites as the schedules are subject to change. Families are not required to register or provide identification to receive meals.
The North Texas Food Bank can be found in Plano at 3677 Mapleshade Lane. Families can contact the food bank at (214) 330-1396.
