In North Texas, food insecurity remains a pressing concern, particularly for children and older adults during the summer months, when access to school-based meals is limited. The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area ranks third nationally for food insecurity, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap initiative, which also found that one in five children in Texas face hunger. This seasonal challenge intensifies as families who depend on free school breakfasts and lunches must find ways to replace up to 10 weekly meals for each child when school is out.

Madison Messinger, manager of programs at the North Texas Food Bank, emphasized the critical role schools play in providing reliable nutrition for many children. “Some kids don’t want school to end because it’s their one consistent source of nutritious food,” she said. The food bank serves 12 counties through a network of 500 partner agencies, offering various food assistance programs funded mainly by individual donations and government grants.

To address summer hunger, the North Texas Food Bank supports three primary initiatives: roughly 25 school pantry sites, 14 Food 4 Kids backpack distribution locations, and Summer Meal Program sites operated in partnership with the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). These programs supplied over 500,000 meals to community members last summer. The TDA’s Summer Meal Program allows children under 18, as well as students with disabilities up to age 21, to receive free meals at school or other designated sites without eligibility requirements or registration.

Dallas Independent School District launched its Summer Meal Program earlier this month, with support from community organizations including United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. A kickoff event on June 10 attracted 850 families, students, and summer camp participants, distributing more than 750 meals and providing groceries to 400 families. Fort Worth ISD and other nearby districts such as Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, Arlington ISD, Frisco ISD, Plano ISD, and Grand Prairie ISD also participate in the program, offering breakfast and lunch Monday through Thursday during the summer.

Aside from meal distribution, the North Texas Food Bank’s school pantry program provides food for entire households, not just children. During the 2024-25 school year, these pantries supplied nearly 2.6 million meals, with approximately half remaining open during the summer. Families receive monthly packages equivalent to about 35 meals, including produce, without income verification or eligibility restrictions. The bank clarifies that families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are still eligible to participate, as SNAP allocations often cover only a fraction of monthly food needs.

The Food 4 Kids program complements these efforts by distributing backpacks filled with shelf-stable food items like peanut butter, graham crackers, and trail mix to children on Fridays, ensuring they have enough to eat over weekends. Although this program is usually school-based during the academic year, the food bank adjusts it for summer by partnering with summer schools, camps, and pantry locations. Last year, Food 4 Kids provided more than 720,000 meals to approximately 5,500 children weekly at 225 schools.

For older adults, the North Texas Food Bank offers the Commodity Supplemental Food Program in collaboration with the TDA, providing monthly food boxes to residents aged 60 and over who meet income qualifications. These boxes contain pantry staples, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables, typically weighing around 26 pounds. Seniors interested in enrolling can register through the food bank’s website.

As summer deepens, hunger remains a reality across North Texas communities. The food bank continues to highlight the pervasive nature of food insecurity, noting that it can affect any neighborhood, office, or classroom, and underscores the vital importance of accessible nutrition for the health and well-being of children and seniors alike.