The North Texas Food Bank announced Friday that it collected a record 349,881 pounds of peanut butter during its ninth annual Peanut Butter Drive in September. That’s 1,902 pounds more than was raised last year.
“We are so grateful for the outpouring of community support during our annual Peanut Butter Drive,” North Texas Food Bank president and CEO Trisha Cunningham said. “This annual peanut butter drive could not have come at a better time with the impact of rising prices and children starting back to school, and it will help us tremendously in providing for those who need us most right now.”
The peanut butter collected will go a long way toward the Food Bank’s Nourish North Texas campaign, which includes raising $300 million in donated food products by the end of June. Due to the increased need in North Texas, as well as supply chain issues, the Food Bank had to purchase significantly more food over the last two years compared to pre-pandemic levels. Offsetting this cost is critical to its long-term mission
The Peanut Butter Drive was led by a committee of community leaders. That group reached out to numerous organizations and individuals, encouraging them to participate. Members of the committee included:
- Raj & Anna Asava – HungerMitao
- Justin Bitner – Ryan LLC
- Ken Crawford – Northway Christian Church
- Dustin Davis – Ryan LLC
- Breon Dennis – Frisco Rough Riders
- Rick Grady – City of Plano City Council
- James Huang – Nihao Food Bank Initiative
- Jason Jenkins – Frisco Police Department
- Ron Johnson – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Plano
- Kay Maxwell – First Unitarian Church of Dallas
- Jennifer Meldrum – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Allen
- Kathy Warman – NTT DATA
“I want to recognize all who supported Hunger Action Month and the Peanut Butter Drive, including the Peanut Butter Drive Committee, all the cities who supported the drive with proclamations, hosting drives and spreading the word in your communities which includes mayors and city staff from Allen, Anna, Carrollton, Coppell, Dallas, Fairview, Fate, Frisco, Lavon, McKinney, Parker, Plano, Princeton, Prosper, Richardson, Sachse and Wylie,” Cunningham said. “I want to especially recognize the City of Richardson and Mayor Paul Voelker and the City Manager, Don Magner, for sponsoring the Peanut Butter Drive mayor video used to kick off the campaign.”
