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NORTH TEXAS FOOD BANK CEO HONORED NATIONALLY
Jan Pruitt Given Highest Award Available to an Individual At Feeding America’s National Conference

DALLAS – At the Feeding America National Conference in Austin, TX Thurs. Apr. 8, Jan Pruitt, president and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), was awarded the national organization of food bank’s highest honor given to an individual, the John van Hengel Award.

In 1967, John van Hengel created the world’s first regional food bank in Phoenix, AZ and his idea of a public/private food distribution network spread worldwide. He died in 2005.

Each year Feeding America, the national association of America’s food banks formerly called America’s Second Harvest, honors one individual with an award named after Mr. van Hengel for their contributions in advancing the art and science of food banking.

Jan Pruitt has directed the North Texas Food Bank since 1997. Prior to assuming this role, Jan served for two years as executive director of the Texas Food Bank Network where she coordinated activities among 18 of Feeding America’s member food banks in the state of Texas. For 11 years, Pruitt was Executive Director of Lancaster Outreach Center, a North Texas Food Bank agency that provides direct service to low-income families.

Jan served as Feeding America’s interim Chief Operating Officer in 2007 while simultaneously steering NTFB and was chosen by Feeding America’s CEO Vicki Escarra to help in the selection of a new COO. In September 2007, Pruitt was bestowed the Presidential Recognition of the Year award from Feeding America. The Presidential Recognition of the Year award is given by the CEO of Feeding America to an executive director of a member food bank who has contributed an extraordinary effort to the network’s viability and momentum. In November 2007, Jan was given the Award of Excellence in Non-Profit Leadership by the Center for Non-Profit Management.

Under her direction NTFB has grown from distributing 10 million pounds of food in 1997 to what will be 50 million pounds by 2011. Jan has been an innovator in many food banking and hunger issue areas, including starting the first virtual food drive and currently participating in an innovative new program for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps) Outreach with the Health and Human Services Committee.

“This award has humbled me,” Pruitt said after the award was given. “I believe strongly in the public/private partnerships created by food banks that can eliminate hunger in local communities not just here in North Texas, but worldwide. To receive an award modeled after the founder of food banking is overwhelming, but it’s also empowering. Texas has the most hungry children of any state in the nation, and so often those faces of hunger are invisible to us all. When the hungry can’t speak up for themselves, it is our job in the food banking world to do it for them. This award just reminds me to greet each day even more energized than before to passionately pursue a hunger-free community.”

About the North Texas Food Bank:
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit hunger relief organization that distributes donated, purchased and prepared foods through a network of 1,146 feeding programs in 13 North Texas counties. The NTFB supports the nutritional needs of children, families and seniors through education, advocacy and strategic partnerships. Close the Gap is the NTFB’s 3-year initiative to unite the community to narrow the food gap by providing access to 50 million meals annually by 2011.

Founded in 1982, the NTFB is a member of Feeding America (feedingamerica.org). *Last year, the NTFB provided access to 37 million meals through its efforts. Each month agency pantries distribute food to more than 53,000 families and on-site meal programs serve 435,000 meals/snacks. Every dollar donated to the NTFB provides four meals for the hungry.

PR Contact:
Paige Phelps, PR Manager
North Texas Food Bank
214-269-8975 desk
214-207-2823 cell
paigep@ntfb.org
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