Dallas, TX, Jan. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) announced today that it will continue to help increase access to nutritious food among households with individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and residing in communities experiencing high food insecurity rates in North Texas with an Equitable Food Access Grant from Starbucks. The food bank will be using this grant to engage local communities in identifying and addressing racial disparities and supporting interventions to overcome common barriers to food access. The grant will also help the NTFB continue to make data-informed decisions and adjust food access programming based on neighbor feedback.
“We are so grateful for the support of companies like Starbucks that recognize the growing issue of hunger and look for ways to contribute to organizations addressing this complex problem,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “Being awarded a Starbucks Equitable Food Access Grant allows the North Texas Food Bank to continue to help increase equitable access to nutritious food among communities experiencing high food insecurity rates in North Texas.”
The Starbucks Equitable Food Access Grant is enabling NTFB to develop rich data views that will further its equitable access strategy. By integrating hunger statistics and demographic information for its service territory, the NTFB can identify under-resourced communities with high food insecurity rates and work with its feeding networks to sufficiently serve those areas. The grant is also helping support the NTFB’s efforts to provide culturally familiar foods for the diverse cultural representation across the North Texas communities. Most recently, with support from the Starbucks Equitable Food Access Grant, the NTFB conducted a Feeding America Client Survey of more than 550 neighbors at 23 partner agencies across its 13-county service area to learn more about neighbor challenges and preferences along with their experience interacting with their network to access groceries. These learnings can help NTFB and its partners make improvements that remove barriers to equitable food access.
“For the last 50 years and still today, Starbucks believes it is our role and responsibility to help strengthen the communities we serve, and in partnership with Feeding America, we are tackling hunger with a focus on equity,” said Michael Kobori, vice president of Sustainability & Social Impact at Starbucks. “The equitable food access grants are a unique opportunity to combine efforts with our Community Stores across the country - which are designed to support historically under-resourced communities through local partnerships and economic opportunity - to increase access to nutritious food for people that need it most. We are proud to have reached this momentous milestone and of the impact these food banks are making.”
NTFB, a partner of the Feeding America® network, is one of 16 food banks to receive this third grant from Starbucks. Since 2021, the food bank has received a total of three Equitable Food Access Grants. NTFB was identified based on the location of a Starbucks Community Store which is committed to economic development and opportunity in historically under-resourced communities. Since 2016, Starbucks has helped to provide more than 50 million meals* to people facing hunger through its FoodShare program in partnership with Feeding America.
To learn more about how you can join the fight to end hunger, visit North Texas Food Bank (ntfb.org).
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About North Texas Food Bank
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked non-profit hunger-relief organization that sources, packages and distributes food through a network of about 500 Partner Agencies and 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 more than 144 million nutritious meals or nearly 400,000 meals a day, a 5% percent increase over the prior year. The North Texas Food Bank is designated a 4-Star Exceptional organization by Charity Navigator based on its governance, integrity and financial stability, and is ranked 89th on Forbes 2023 Top 100 Charities in America. NTFB is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. For more information, www.ntfb.org.
