The Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) is stepping up efforts to help residents in the wake of increased demand across Tarrant County.
TAFB is expanding hours and moving mobile events to indoor facilities to keep people out of the summer heat and accommodate the growing number of people in need of food.
Each week, TAFB serves over 1 million meals to the community across its 13-county service area, TAFB Director of Marketing and Communication Michael Polydoroff told The Dallas Express. “Our fleet of trucks delivers goods to over 470 partner agencies.”
Polydoroff suggested that some of the people who come to TAFB may not have access to affordable, healthy food; he said most are low-wage earners, senior citizens on a fixed income, middle-wage earners who have spent their savings while job hunting, those coping with short or long-term disabilities, and those experiencing other major life crises.
“In an era of unprecedented food inflation, families are once again faced with the challenge of putting food on the table,” explained Polydoroff. “For this reason, food insecurity is at record high levels, comparable to what we experienced at the height of the pandemic, with roughly 900,000 to 1 million meals per week provided to nearly 500,000 people who are food insecure in the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s service area.”
To expand its reach, TAFB is moving its weekly mobile distribution to a permanent location at Met Church in Fort Worth, located at 11301 North Riverside Drive. This location will be open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
The organization’s monthly “Off the Dock” food distribution will continue Sunday, August 7, at the Fort Worth distribution center, located at 2600 Cullen Street, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
“We are working closely with our 470 partner agencies to transition mobile markets to food pantries,” Polydoroff noted.
A new TAFB location in Weatherford is now open as well. The Mission Market gives people a grocery store-like experience. “Shopping” can take place on Monday and Thursday from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. and on Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The Mission Market is located in Weatherford at 112 Winners Circle.
“The food bank saw a need to reach more people in rural areas and determined a distribution center in Parker County would allow the Tarrant Area Food Bank to distribute food more efficiently and cost-effectively to targeted rural counties in our service area,” Polydoroff said. “The strategic placement of the satellite location in Weatherford allows the Tarrant Area Food Bank West to service 50% of the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s geographical service area and 15% of the people in need out of our new facility.”
TABF and its agency partners are adopting the client choice model, which allows community members to “shop” and choose groceries for their families. Mobile events will continue when distributing large amounts of food, such as during the holidays and back-to-school events.
For more information on ways to give to the Tarrant Area Food Bank or volunteer, visit its website.