Tales from the Trenches

I am picking up a pattern – do you see what I see? The issue is food. With millions unemployed or under employed, feeding the family is becoming a real worry. Food Banks are getting pressed. The old donate cans of beans or getting old food from retailers is not keeping up. My bet is that this crisis will morph into a new opportunity – for people to grow food in the cities for themselves and for their community.

What are you seeing?

Officials say the face of hunger in North Texas is changing, thanks to historically high unemployment and the nation’s deepest post-WWII recession.

As a result, thousands of North Texans are finding themselves seeking food assistance for the first time, thanks to unemployment, a reduction in pay or work hours and lengthy delays in the state’s food stamp program.

For the North Texas Food Bank’s partner agencies, the number of first-time clients has risen 36 percent.

Among those first-time clients is Plano resident and former healthcare administrator Ray, who shared this story. Ray and his wife volunteer at the food pantry as he continues to look for work.

“When I was laid-off from a well-paid position and my financial obligations began piling up, my wife and I ultimately had to choose between eating and paying the bills. It was then that I shook off my pride and sought assistance from Minnie’s West Plano Food Pantry.”

Overall, food distribution for the North Texas Food Bank is up 46 percent over the same time last year.

Unfortunately, the fast-rising demand has forced some agencies to turn people away due to short supplies.

With help from the campaign launched Tuesday, the North Texas Food Bank hopes to raise $5 million – enough to distribute 20 million meals –by the end of the year.

Learn more about the North Texas Food Bank’s campaign and hear some of the stories from your community here.

The North Texas Food Bank and Tarrant Area Food Bank are part of KERA’s Advisory Group for its Economy Project.   Learn more about what non-profit groups are doing on the Community Voices page of KERA’s Economy Web site.