Dallas, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) recognized top partner agencies at a recent Partner Agency Summit at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, which was sponsored by UnitedHealthcare. The awards were presented to seven of the more than 400 feeding partners and organizations that work alongside the North Texas Food Bank to distribute food to those facing hunger in the Food Bank’s 13-county service area.
“With over 80 percent of the North Texas Food Bank food ultimately being delivered to those who need it through our feeding partners, these strategic partnerships are critical to our mission of closing the hunger gap in North Texas,” said Anne Readhimer, North Texas Food Bank Vice President of Community Impact. “It is such an honor to work with all of the agencies and organizations and to recognize the life-changing impact they are having on our communities.”
The following organizations were recognized at the event on September 9:
Foundational Partner of the Year: Brighter Tomorrows, Inc
Irving-based Brighter Tomorrows is engaged with the North Texas Food Bank through its support of survivors of domestic violence and their families. Over the last year they have consistently filled beds and at times had to turn clients to temporary housing in hotels, but they work tirelessly to place their clients in a safe space. Brighter Tomorrows was the recipient of an NTFB Be Our Guest grant in FY22 to support its broad goals to provide dignity to those they serve.
Impact Partner of the Year: Kaufman Christian Help Center
Kaufman Christian Help Center is a pillar in the Kaufman community and offers help to the community through programs such as a food pantry, mobile pantry, Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and many other programs. Kaufman Christian is a consistent partner to NTFB, always striving to add and increase programs and services in the Kaufman area.
Transformational Partner of the Year: Seven Loaves Food Pantry
The Storehouse of Collin County’s Seven Loaves Food Pantry has continued to creatively meet the needs of the Plano community. Every week, the pantry is serving a high immigrant population with dignity and respect. To support meeting the need, they have shifted from a choice pantry in a small space, to a hybrid model where all families feel welcomed. They have recently begun Project Hope, a referral and resource program for its neighbors, as well as The Academy, an educational program that teaches language, job and life skills.
Progressive Partner of the Year: Community Missionary Baptist
Consistently looking for partnerships to help its neighbors, Community Missionary Baptist was the first partner out of NTFB’s mobile pantry progressive partners to increase to two distributions a month. It is well structured and efficient in operations and its sites are available to multi-area community and civic-minded programs as volunteer opportunities. Following an apartment fire in Oak Cliff that left many people temporarily unhoused, the organization was instrumental in helping to secure a site and volunteers to execute a pop-up mobile distribution that distributed 28k meals within 1 mile of the affected apartment complex with 24 hours of notice.
Hope for Tomorrow Award: Catholic Charities of Dallas
While NTFB has had many wonderful partners willing to provide insight as we learn and shape strategy within the Hope for Tomorrow space, Catholic Charities of Dallas (CCD) has been particularly generous. Within the Learn2Earn Workforce Development pilot, its feedback has been transparent and invaluable in improving processes. Catholic Charities is invested in providing holistic services to the community. The agency is willing to take on new challenges to better or more fully address the needs of individuals. Its dedication to providing food and other vital services to underserved groups including, but not limited to, immigrants, seniors, disaster victims, and the un- and under-employed is commendable.
Hunger Hero Retail Agency of the Year: Amazing Grace Food Pantry
Amazing Grace Food Pantry and its team go above and beyond each year to ensure that their local neighbors in the Wylie area have access to a variety of choices through their demanding work and dedication to the Retail Program. The team truly builds relationships with their retail stores and is always willing to go the extra mile for their partners. Their team is constantly looking for ways to improve their program and increase donations. The NTFB Retail Team appreciates the relationship that Amazing Grace has with both our team and its donors.
Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) Agency of the Year: MasterKey Ministries in Sherman
MasterKey Ministries in Sherman is incredibly involved in making sure that it provides every avenue it possibly can so that no family is at risk of hunger. It has partnered with the NTFB in our CSFP drive-thru distribution, our Door Dash CSFP distribution, and the NTFB mobile pantry program. The agency was also involved with retail stores and with other faith-based organizations to help the community. In 2020, MasterKey was able to serve 1,800 families and they continue to serve families during these challenging times.
The NTFB’s two redistribution organizations, Crossroads Community Services and Sharing Life, also recognized outstanding partner agencies from their networks. Crossroads recognized as its Community Impact Awards recipients: Cedar Hill Shares, Harmony Community Development Corp, Royal Haven Baptist Church, Mission Oak Cliff, Kids Cove Community Outreach, and The MINT Foundation. Sharing Life honored Empowering the Masses as its Partner of the Year.
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About North Texas Food Bank
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit hunger-relief organization that sources, packages and distributes food through a diverse network of more than 400 feeding partners including food pantries and community organizations across 13 North Texas counties. The organization also provides food to children, seniors and families through various direct-delivery programs, including mobile pantries.
In its last fiscal year, the NTFB provided access to nearly 137 million nutritious meals, a 9% percent increase over the prior year. In response to the ongoing elevated hunger crisis, the organization has launched a $500 million campaign, Nourish North Texas, to provide more food for today and hope for tomorrow by addressing the barriers to food security that our neighbors face.
