Through our Child Programs, we work with schools and social service programs in our 13 county service area to distribute and serve nutritious foods to kids in need throughout the school year and the summer months.
Food 4 Kids Serving up to 11,000 chronically hungry children each week
Elementary and middle school children experiencing food insecurity, often face hunger at home when meals are not available during the weekends.
Working with educators to identify chronically hungry kids, the Food 4 Kids program provides backpacks full of nutritious, nonperishable, kid-friendly food items to take home each Friday afternoon. The program operates in over 300 schools, serving up to 11,000 chronically hungry children each week.
Food 4 Kids is available to all elementary schools that are at least 50% Free Reduced Lunch/Economically Disadvantaged and all middle schools that are at least 40%. Qualifying schools that are interested in the Food 4 Kids program can reach out to ChildPrograms@ntfb.org for more information.
During the 2022-2023 school year we served nearly 730,000 meals through the Food 4 Kids backpack program.
School Pantry Program
Providing non-perishable items and fresh produce to students
Enrolled students and their families can access non-perishable items, as well as fresh produce, through participating schools.
Distribution occurs once a month, typically after school. Students who visit the school pantry leave with 20-25 pounds of shelf-stable food items and 15 pounds of produce.
School Pantry Programs operate in schools with at least 90% of students qualifying for free/reduced meals, within close-knit neighborhoods. Schools need a physical and/or drive-through space to operate the program and two people who can serve as site coordinators.
Schools interested in the School Pantry Program can reach out to ChildPrograms@ntfb.org for more information.
During the 2022-2023 school year, we served over 1.8 million meals through the School Pantry Program in 40 sites.
Summer Programming
North Texas Food Bank works with summer partners to ensure year-round food assistance for students and families. NTFB strives to provide relevant and accessible programming, which includes extending school year programs (Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, School Pantry Program) into the summer months as needed, collaborating with school districts to provide pantry staples, and exploring innovative avenues to distribute weekend backpacks. NTFB continues to stay engaged with Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) providers in North Texas. For questions about how to partner with NTFB Child Programs over the summer, contact ChildPrograms@ntfb.org for more information.
For more information, reach out to ChildPrograms@ntfb.org