The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) has received a $1 million grant from Walmart Foundation and Feeding America. The grant is part of an ongoing, multi-year partnership aimed at strengthening food banks and agency partners in rural and underserved communities affected by food insecurity.
The funding supported four NTFB partner pantries, helping them increase their capacity to collect food donations from local grocers and distribute them to families facing hunger. In the North Texas Food Bank’s 13-county service area, nearly 778,000 people face hunger, including one in five children.
“The North Texas Food Bank and our Feeding Network rely on the generosity of supporters like the Walmart Foundation to continue our fight against hunger,” said Trisha Cunningham, president and CEO of NTFB.
“By strengthening our network’s capacity, we help our partners secure the resources that allow them to meet the needs of more neighbors in their communities. This generous grant will substantially increase the food available to the one in seven individuals facing hunger in our area.”
The Retail Agency Capacity Building Grants were awarded to 20 Feeding America partner food banks to enhance retail rescue programs in which fresh, frozen and shelf-stable foods are donated by grocers for pickup by food banks and agency partners. In total, $17 million was awarded to the food banks through the grant, including $6 million that was provided by the Walmart Foundation.
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In North Texas, the grant has been distributed to the following organizations:
- Care Center Ministries: a 24-foot refrigerated truck;
- Christian Community Action: a 26-foot refrigerated truck and a produce cooler;
- Chocolate Mint Foundation: a 26-foot refrigerated truck and an electric forklift; and
- White Rock Center of Hope: two produce coolers, a refrigerated merchandiser, a freezer merchandiser, iPads, plastic grocery carts, picking carts, gondola shelving and bins.
Merideth DePriest, director of operations and development at Care Center Ministries, said the equipment will improve their ability to collect food from more distant stores, ensuring that food doesn’t spoil during transit. She also expressed gratitude for the variety of food donated by Walmart, noting that store teams have even donated items like bicycles, vacuums and fans for neighbors in need.
At Chocolate Mint Foundation, Director Tammy Green emphasized the importance of partnerships with retailers like Walmart. With the new truck, the organization can pick up larger quantities of food, and the forklift will allow volunteers to focus on serving their community rather than unloading food from trucks.
“The relationship with retailers like Walmart is crucial,” Green said. “It’s all about commitment and building relationships.”
The Walmart Foundation grants are part of an effort to increase the number of retail partners and expand food storage capacity in under-resourced areas, where food insecurity disproportionately impacts communities of color and rural populations.
“Local food banks are key to making retail food rescue programs successful and expanding access to healthy food for people in our communities, which is why it’s so important to invest in their ability to innovate and efficiently pick up food donations,” said Julie Gehrki, VP and chief operating officer at the Walmart Foundation. “The Walmart Foundation’s investment builds on our continued support of the Feeding America network as we work together to strengthen the charitable meal system and end hunger.”
Over the last 20 years, Walmart, the Walmart Foundation and Sam’s have contributed more than 119 million pounds of food and nearly $3.5 million.
