NTFB’s Legacy Luncheon Offers a Chance to Reflect

Former NTFB Board Chairs John Beckert and Frank Roby say food bank’s mission is as relevant as ever.

While the approach and operations of North Texas Food Bank may have evolved through the years, panelists at the February Full Plate Society Legacy Luncheon say NTFB’s mission to close the hunger gap has always remained at the center.

“Whatever it took to close the gap is what we became,” said Frank Roby, former NTFB Board Chair. “And that is still what’s driving us—we have to do what needs to be done and it has to be done well because the mission is so important.”

Frank and former NTFB Board Chair John Beckert spoke during the February 2 Luncheon that was hosted at Park City Club. The panel was moderated by NTFB Chief Engagement Officer Annam Manthiram with an introduction by NTFB President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. Sponsored by John R. Sewell, the event brought together board members and committed supporters of the food bank, including those who’ve included NTFB as part of their planned giving. John and Frank reflected on their decades of involvement with NTFB, its growth over the years and how the food bank fits into their own legacies.

John, who has served with each of NTFB’s three CEOs, discussed how NTFB has pivoted over the years, including during COVID-19. John said while the pandemic certainly presented challenges, it raised the profile of NTFB as a “capable leader that was going to solve problems.”

Before COVID-19, NTFB charged a handling fee to its agency partners for food. Since then, due in part to the generosity of the North Texas community during and after COVID, NTFB has provided food at no cost to its partners.

“We were smart enough to evolve,” he says, adding that the pandemic also made clear how efficient and effective NTFB is in distributing food since every $1 donated helps provide three meals.

Frank said as people look at where they will give, their church and their alma mater are often the first two places they go. However, he said, as NTFB has focused on its mission, it also has created a place where everyone can contribute, whether as a volunteer sorting and boxing food, as a donor or as an advocate.

“The beauty of the North Texas Food Bank is that it gives us all a place to belong,” Frank said.

John agreed and said while he and his family are happy to count NTFB as part of their legacy, he knows they’re just a piece of NTFB’s long history of serving neighbors facing hunger.

“The food bank is going to be around for a long time, so if we can make a small impact, that’s more important than our own legacy,” he said.

Frank echoed his sentiments about NTFB’s longevity, emphasizing that he expects the food bank will only continue to evolve as it focuses on its mission and the neighbors it serves.

“Our mission to close the gap is just as relevant today as it was then,” Frank says. “We’re now in a place where the original mission will be able to take us into places that we might not even have imagined yet.”