At its annual Mayor Day event, the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB)
unveiled the latest insights from Feeding America's Map the Meal
Gap study, revealing Texas' stark reality: it now leads the nation
in food insecurity, surpassing California. Texas grapples with a
food insecurity rate of 16.4%, equating to nearly 5 million
individuals facing hunger, a significant increase from 2021.
Alarmingly, over one-third of those affected are children.
Moreover, the study highlights the ongoing challenges within
NTFB’s 13-county service area, ranking it as the nation's
fourth-largest area of food insecurity. Approximately 777,690
individuals, or 1 in 8 people, confront food insecurity within
NTFB's service area, with children bearing a disproportionate
burden. The rate of child food insecurity surged to 20.8%,
reflecting a distressing rise from the previous year.
“While Texas boasts of being bigger in many aspects, leading the
nation in food insecurity is not a badge of honor we can proudly
wear,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas
Food Bank. “In the heart of North Texas, where the number of people
facing hunger is greater than the populations of cities like
Seattle or San Francisco, the statistic that strikes hardest is
nearly 40% of those in need are children, and that is just
unacceptable. Yet, amid these struggles, the North Texas Food Bank
is committed to closing the hunger gap in North Texas through the
dedication of generous supporters and steadfast partnerships."
Map the Meal Gap is the only study providing local-level
estimates of food insecurity and costs for every county and
congressional district. The study builds upon the USDA’s latest
national and state data report, which showed a sharp increase in
food insecurity in 2022 amid historically high food prices and the
expiration of many pandemic-era programs. Map the Meal Gap
emphasizes the urgent call to take action.
Key findings of Map the Meal Gap include:
- Texas has a food
insecurity rate of 16.4% or 1 in 6, with nearly 5 million people
facing hunger, up from 13.7% in 2021.
- Texas has 1,697,870
children facing hunger with a food insecurity rate of 22.8% or 1 in
4, up from 18% in 2021.
- NTFB’s 13-county
service area continues to have the fourth-highest number of people
facing hunger in the nation, with a food insecurity rate of 14.2%,
up from 11.9% in 2021.
- An estimated
777,690, or 1 in 8 people, face food insecurity in NTFB’s service
area.
- NTFB has a child
food insecurity rate of 20.8%, with 286,860 children, or 1 in 5, up
from 15.8% in 2021.
- There continue to be
disparities in who faces hunger. In the NTFB service area:
- 1 in 4 (28%) Black
persons are food insecure, up from 1 in 5 (22%) in 2021.
- 1 in 5 (20%)
Hispanic persons, up from 1 in 7 (14%) in 2021.
- 1 in 11 (9%) White,
non-Hispanic persons, up from 1 in 14 (7%) in 2021.
- The estimated annual
meal gap for NTFB’s service area is more than 146 million, compared
with nearly 113 million in 2021.
- In NTFB’s service
area, 51% of those facing hunger have a family income under the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) threshold.
- Map the Meal Gap
data estimates the cost per meal for those living in NTFB’s service
area is $3.83, up from $3.37 in 2021.
- Dallas County has
52% of NTFB’s food-insecure population, followed by Collin County,
which has 17%; Denton County, which has 15%; and the remaining 10
counties, which have 16%.
Food Insecurity by County in North Texas Food Bank’s Service
Area
County |
2021 Food Insecurity Rate |
2022 Food Insecurity Rate |
2021 # of Food Insecure |
2022 # of Food Insecure |
2021 Child Food Insecurity Rate |
2022 Child Food Insecurity Rate |
2021 # of Children Food Insecure |
2022 # of Children Food Insecure |
Collin |
10.1% |
12.1% |
105,320 |
130,740 |
10.2% |
14.7% |
27,330 |
40,060 |
Dallas |
13.1% |
15.6% |
340,260 |
406,340 |
19.8% |
25.0% |
134,560 |
166,590 |
Delta |
15.1% |
16.1% |
790 |
850 |
19.6% |
24.2% |
250 |
290 |
Denton* |
10.2% |
12.5% |
90,550 |
114,180 |
10.9% |
15.7% |
23,620 |
34,320 |
Ellis |
10.4% |
13.1% |
19,580 |
25,540 |
14.0% |
19.4% |
7,060 |
9,970 |
Fannin |
13.8% |
16.1% |
4,880 |
5,790 |
15.9% |
21.5% |
1,200 |
1,640 |
Grayson |
13.7% |
15.7% |
18,350 |
21,570 |
17.3% |
22.7% |
5,570 |
7,390 |
Hopkins |
13.6% |
16.4% |
4,970 |
6,050 |
16.5% |
22.8% |
1,500 |
2,050 |
Hunt |
14.2% |
16.2% |
14,060 |
16,470 |
18.0% |
23.1% |
4,290 |
5,580 |
Kaufman |
10.8% |
13.3% |
15,190 |
19,920 |
14.6% |
19.7% |
5,750 |
8,310 |
Lamar |
16.4% |
18.1% |
8,180 |
9,070 |
22.6% |
28.4% |
2,710 |
3,400 |
Navarro |
14.4% |
17.9% |
7,450 |
9,440 |
18.7% |
25.4% |
2,570 |
3,430 |
Rockwall |
8.3% |
10.6% |
8,760 |
11,730 |
9.0% |
13.0% |
2,560 |
3,830 |
*Denton County service is shared with Tarrant Area Food Bank –
each responsible for 50%
NTFB’s current strategic plan addresses this elevated need by
providing Food for Today and Hope for Tomorrow. In FY22, NTFB
provided access to nearly 137 million nutritious meals, and an
additional 144 million meals in FY23 by maximizing food
distribution through members of its feeding network. Through
partnerships with over 500 food pantries and organizations, NTFB
endeavors to meet the diverse needs of individuals across its
service area. Together with its redistribution partners, Crossroads
Community Services in South Dallas and Sharing Life in Mesquite,
NTFB provides daily access to about 400,000 meals.
With 90 percent of the food being distributed through this
feeding network, NTFB believes investing in its feeding partners
will ultimately transform the lives of its neighbors. Thanks to
donors' generosity, the NTFB awarded more than $6 million in grants
to nearly 70 partner agencies last year. These grants helped
community organizations in NTFB’s feeding network to add or repair
refrigeration, expand their food pantries, purchase trucks for the
transportation of food, and establish or expand wraparound services
such as vocational and financial literacy classes.
Understanding where neighbors facing hunger live is critical so
that NTFB can work to ensure they have access to food. The food
bank uses the Feeding America data and the Hunger Action Map, a
comprehensive report developed in partnership with Bain Consulting,
to look at regional demographic information and work with its
Partner Network to distribute food in zip codes with high unmet
needs. For example, in Dallas County, 18% of the people facing
hunger reside in 10 South and Southern Dallas zip codes. Last year,
NTFB provided approximately 20 million meals to residents living in
those 10 zip codes through 160 feeding programs and partners like
Crossroads Community Services, serving as a distribution hub and
nearly $1 million in grants that directly impacted feeding partners
serving those communities.
NTFB’s Hope for Tomorrow strategy focuses on building more
connected, self-sufficient, food-secure communities by addressing
the underlying factors that lead to food insecurity. NTFB is adding
food in places where neighbors are already utilizing healthcare or
other services and supporting partners as they provide financial
empowerment, workforce development, and other resources. The food
bank is also continuing to build its Nutrition Services to empower
neighbors to make healthy choices.
NTFB’s Social Service Assistance team also helps low-income
families apply for programs like the Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP). In Texas, SNAP, formerly known as “food
stamps,” is a crucial resource for 3.7 million low-income Texans
who rely on it to help feed their families. One out of every nine
Texans receives SNAP benefits. Still, only seven out of 10 eligible
Texans are enrolled in SNAP, one of the country's lowest
participation rates.
Policy and advocacy play pivotal roles in addressing the
multifaceted issue of food insecurity. As 44% of the meals that
NTFB provided access to last year were tied to government programs,
advocating for policies that seek to close the hunger gap at the
federal, state, and local levels is critical to providing
sustainable solutions to food insecurity. Through well-crafted
policies, governments can implement structural changes that bolster
food security by ensuring equitable access to the nutritious food
and resources needed to thrive.
Cunningham concluded, "Empowered by the unwavering support of
our community, the North Texas Food Bank stands as a beacon in the
fight against hunger. With every donation of food, funds, and time,
we fortify our mission and extend our reach. Together, with our
dedicated partners and volunteers, we form a lifeline of
compassion, delivering hope and sustenance to those in need. In
unity, we nourish not just bodies, but spirits, overcoming barriers
to food security one meal at a time.”
To learn how food insecurity impacts your community, visit
FeedingAmerica.org/MaptheMealGap. For more information about the
North Texas Food Bank and how to help end hunger in North Texas,
visit www.ntfb.org.
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About the North Texas Food Bank:
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked non-profit
hunger relief organization that sources, packages, and distributes
food through a network of about 500 Partner Agencies and
organizations across 13 North Texas counties. The organization also
provides food to children, seniors and families through various
direct-delivery programs, including mobile pantries.
In its last fiscal year, the NTFB provided access to more than
144 million nutritious meals or nearly 400,000 meals daily, a 5%
percent increase over the prior year. The North Texas Food Bank is
designated a 4-Star Exceptional organization by Charity Navigator
based on its governance, integrity and financial stability,
and is ranked 89th on Forbes 2023 Top 100 Charities
in America. NTFB is a Partner Food Bank of Feeding America,
the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. For more
information, www.ntfb.org.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger relief organization in
the United States. As a network of more than 200 food banks, 21
statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 agency partners,
including food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.2
billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year.
Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and
improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention
to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food
insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that
protects people from going hungry.
Visit www.FeedingAmerica.org, find us on Facebook or
follow us on Twitter.
Jeff Smith
North Texas Food Bank
469-891-7022
jeff.smith@ntfb.org