Fort Worth ISD opens on-campus market at Morningside Middle to address food scarcity
Fort Worth Independent School District students and families in the Morningside neighborhood have access to a new source of groceries that offers a variety of foods and goods in an area that’s disproportionately impacted by food insecurity.
Morningside Middle School on Tuesday opened its Viking Market, which provides food for 75 to 100 families where 92% of the student population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, according to district officials. The market, named after the school’s mascot, offers meat, vegetables, dairy products, dried and frozen goods, and other household items like toiletries and clothes through district partnerships with Tarrant Area Food Bank and Rainwater Charitable Foundation.
The market’s operating hours are every other Tuesday from 8-10:30 a.m. and 4-6 p.m., and its reach will expand beyond school families after spring break, said Marcus Cook, a family engagement specialist at the school. It’s run by school staff, volunteers and Morningside students who are in student council and the Junior Cadet Corps.
Before cutting the ribbon alongside school administration and local officials in front of the portable building where the market is housed, Cook described the program as a stepping stone for the community.
“The 76104 ZIP code deserves much more than this. We need health care facilities. We need pharmacies,” he said. “This can’t sustain the neighborhood — we need a grocery store. With the people here, it’s all accomplishable.”
This area of Fort Worth has been identified by Texas Health Resources as a priority ZIP code for addressing access to healthcare, access to health foods and chronic disease, according to its 2022 community health needs assessment. The 76104 area had one of the highest food insecurity index values countywide: 94.6 out of 100. Higher values are estimated to have the highest socioeconomic need and are correlated with poor health outcomes.
Celia Torres was among the families who were the first to shop at the market on Tuesday and described it as convenient and accessible with a great variety of goods to choose from. As she talked with a reporter through a translator, a DJ played “Suavemente” by Elvis Crespo and “Just Fine” by Mary J. Blige.
“This is perfect because the prices are so high,” she said, referring to local grocery stores.
The market is part of the Tarrant Area Food Bank’s Ready to Learn program that focuses on expanding in-school pantries across 13 North Texas counties to keep students well-fed, which helps avoid behavioral, health and academic issues that impact their education.
Food bank President and CEO Julie Butner told attendees that out of the 13 counties it serves, half of a million people go to bed missing a meal, she said. Within that group, one in four are young people ranging from preschool to college ages.
“Before the pandemic, we only had 13 in-school pantries. We today, with the Viking pantry, have 59,” she said. “It’s a natural fit because our schools are community centers. This is where people come together.
Viking Market’s opening comes within a week after a similar program opened at O.D Wyatt High School in southeastern Fort Worth. Their on-campus grocery store, also part of Fort Worth ISD, allows students to purchase food when they complete modules on topics such as anger management, bullying and drug awareness. The THRIVE program, which stands for Together Harnessing Resources to Give Individuals Voice and Empowerment, is run by Texas Health Resources and builds resiliency skills while curbing food insecurity.
