Program areas at TAFB
Food distribution Tarrant Area Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a primary source of donated Food for approximately 450 hunger relief agencies and feeding programs in fort worth, Texas and 13 surrounding counties. In fy 2025, Tarrant Area Food Bank provided access to 56 million nutritious meals through its network of partner agencies, mobile solutions, nutrition education and social service programs. These meals were provided in the form of groceries for clients to take home, hot meals served on site, or healthy snacks served during a group activity.
EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN FY25, OUR COMMUNITY NUTRITION TEAM CONDUCTED NUTRITION EDUCATION PROGRAMS ACROSS OUR SERVICE AREA TEACHING NEIGHBORS HOW TO COOK NUTRITIOUSLY AND GROW THEIR OWN FOOD. OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN AND FARM PROGRAMS SUPPORTED OVER 60 PARTNER GARDENS, AND WE HARVESTED MORE THAN 34 TONS OF FRESH PRODUCE FOR LOCAL NEIGHBORS AND PARTNER AGENCIES. TAFB OFFERS WAREHOUSE LOGISTICS JOB TRAINING GRADUATES THAT LINKS GRADUATES WITH VETTED EMPLOYER PARTNERS WHO PAY A LIVING WAGE, OFFER HEALTHCARE BENEFITS, AND HAVE CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES. HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS IN FY25, WE DEVELOPED NEW AND DEEPENED EXISTING NEW HEALTHCARE PARTNERSHIPS WITH HOSPITAL SYSTEMS MEDICAL CLINICS, AND HEALTH PLANS. WE CONTINUED OUR FOOD BOX HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM FOR HOMEBOUND PATIENTS, AND ESTABLISHED A HEALTHCARE REFERRAL PROCESS CONNECTING PATIENTS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES SUCH AS SNAP, WIC, AND MEDICAID. TAFB'S REGISTERED DIETITIANS PROVIDED NUTRITONAL GUIDANCE, AND SUPPORTED HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS' UTILIZATION OF FOOD INSECURITY SCREENINGS AND REFERRAL PROCESSES TO ENSURE THEIR PATIENTS ARE CONNECTED TO FOOD AND NUTRITION RESOURCES. FOOD IS MEDICINE In FY25, TAFB continued its Food RX program, a healthcare- community partnership addressing food insecurity as a critical social determinant of health. The six-month program delivered a holistic intervention to 97 participants with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It distributed a total of 2,522 produce and medically tailored grocery boxes, and delivered nearly 50,000 healthy meals produced by the Community Kitchen for Food RX participants and the broader community. VETERAN PROGRAMS TAFB SERVES THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY BY PROVIDING FOOD, NUTRITION EDUCATION, GARDEN PROGRAMS AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES AT VETERAN AFFAIRS CLINICS AND THE NAVAL AIR STATION JOINT RESERVE BASE. OLDER ADULT PROGRAMS SENIORS ARE ONE OF THE MORE VULNERABLE POPULATIONS SERVED BY TAFB. WITH MANY SENIORS LIVING ON A FIXED INCOME, THIS POPULATION CAN STRUGGLE TO MAKE ENDS MEET EACH MONTH. TAFB OFFERS TWO PROGRAMS SPECIFICALLY FOR SENIORS TO ENSURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD. SENIOR SHARES PROVIDE A FARMER'S MARKET STYLE OF DISTRIBUTION TO SENIORS AT COMMUNITY CENTERS, CHURCHES, AND SENIOR HOUSING COMPLEXES. THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM (CSFP), IS A FEDERALLY FUNDED FOOD DISTRIBUTION EFFORT THAT PROVIDES A MONTHLY BOX OF FOOD TO LOW-INCOME SENIORS TO IMPROVE THEIR HEALTH, NUTRITION, AND WELL-BEING. CSFP STARTED AT TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK IN 2022 AND GREW IN 2025 TO SERVE 2,164 30LB BOXES OF FOOD MONTHLY, 25,968 ANNUALLY, EQUATING TO 649,200 MEALS, EACH MONTH, and serves more than 2,000 SENIORS IN OUR SERVICE AREA.
Children's programs tafb serves children through "ready to learn", which includes youth feeding and youth programs that focus on Food, education, and advocacy. 107 in-school markets provide access to kid-friendly, nutritious groceries in local schools, offering convenience and variety to youth and their families on-site at a title i campus. New in-school markets were installed in 58 schools in fy 2025. The in-school snack program provides title i schools with kid-friendly snacks for students during school hours as a supplement in between meals. The hunger + hope program is a Food insecurity education module developed for the hope squad program, a school-based peer support group. The curriculum is now available not only in more than 100+ schools in our service Area, but was also adopted by the national hope squad, reaching thousands of students nationwide. Most recently, we launched our after school and summer camp program that provides age-appropriate nutrition, gardening, and Food banking education for youth pre-k - 12th grade and our junior ambassador program that is available to high school students who are ready to lead, serve and advocate for hunger issues affecting their community.