TAFB West continues to feed the need

Nov. 27—PARKER COUNTY — When Tarrant Area Food Bank set its sights on opening a facility in Parker County, the need for expansion was already there.

Since opening its doors in Weatherford a little more than a year ago, Tarrant Area Food Bank West's numbers have more than backed up that claim.

"We did 5.5 million pounds of food, and we're on track to do 6.6 million for the next year," TAFB West Branch Manager Steve Martin said.

TAFB was founded in 1982 by a group of Fort Worth residents who were concerned about hunger in the community. Three months after its opening, the organization had distributed donated food to 50 charities in Fort Worth.

TAFB West feeds that growing need, through food distribution, its Mission Market and other programs to benefit those in need in Parker, Bosque, Erath, Hamilton, Hood, Palo Pinto and Somervell counties.

On a recent Thursday evening, student groups from Brock and Garner worked alongside Aledo Rotary and other individuals, organizing drive-thru lanes to distribute turkeys, canned goods, fresh fruits and vegetables into the trunks of waiting vehicles. TAFB CEO and President Julie Butner was right there among them, dividing canned vegetables into bags.

It was the second Thanksgiving distribution of its kind through the branch, serving more than 22,000 pounds of food in the three-hour span, the largest they've ever done, Martin said.

After ceasing weekly drive-thru distributions, the branch adapted and began instead encouraging people to come in and shop at the Mission Market.

"We thought the numbers would decline, but the number of people we're seeing is better," Martin said. "People do like going in and choosing their items, rather than getting their car loaded up with preset items."

A new option is online ordering, which started a few weeks ago, where residents can go online twice a week and select their items. The Mission Market is open to shoppers Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

And even then, "we don't want to send anybody away empty-handed," Martin said, adding that anyone who may show up on a Tuesday receives an "emergency" bag of food. "And we hand them a sheet that has the dates and times of when we're open."

The goal is to make the practice as normal as a regular trip to the grocery store, and "bring the dignity back," he said.

More exciting things are on the horizon for the food bank, including partnerships with business and schools to utilize the classroom and kitchen at the facility.

"The community has embraced us really well and there've been a lot of great supporters," TAFB Regional Engagement Coordinator Lauren Burge said. "It's been a great thing and we're excited about being here."

Several TAFB West employees will begin training to get ready for a Cooking Matters class, which will show people how to cook a healthy meal and provide gift cards to buy the ingredients and recreate it at home.

"The purpose is to start healthy eating habits," Martin said. "Health really is what you're putting in your body."

Matt Kennedy, head of the Mission Garden, where fresh produce is grown and harvested to be put in the Mission Market, has also been working with special education programs at Aledo, Brock and Weatherford, where students get to work in the market and help with stocking.

So far, about 800 pounds of produce has been harvested from the garden and stocked in the Mission Market.

"As soon as we harvest, they're getting access to whatever we're growing," Martin said. "The goal is to make it more of a production garden. Now it's set up as a teaching garden."

The community is also invited to the official grand opening of the West R.E.D. Bus, sponsored by HEB Hunger Relief and the Parker County Hospital District.

"As we continue to provide community support to relieve the effects of the pandemic, we are deepening our roots through TAFB West and in Parker County by launching solutions that bring our services to neighbors in rural underserved communities where transportation may be lacking," Butner said. "TAFB will provide emergency food boxes, nutrition education, as well as facilitate enrollment of eligible families into federal benefits programs such as SNAP and Medicaid with our R.E.D. Bus West".

The R.E.D. Bus West will serve low-income residents and family members in the community. TAFB will serve individuals of all ages through the Parker County Hospital District and is working directly with the Parker County medical facilities to identify specific community neighborhoods and neighbors based on income and food insecurity data. The R.E.D. Bus West will make multiple stops in a single day, connecting families to food, SNAP benefits and additional community resources to address housing, education, and employment.

"The Parker County Hospital District is pleased to partner with the Tarrant Area Food Bank in the development of the R.E.D. Bus program in Parker County" said PCHD CEO Randy Bacus. "The R.E.D. Bus concept aligns nicely with the Hospital District's mission statement which is to provide high quality healthcare services consistent with the needs of those we serve to promote a healthier community."

The grand opening is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Weatherford's Campbell Clinic, 1517 Texas Drive.

Food bank staff have seen the numbers rise and fall with societal trends, be it a pandemic, a recession or the holiday season.

"Holidays are always the busiest times. In food banking, everything runs in cycles," Martin said. "With recession, inflation and supply chain issues, we're seeing the need going back up."

With its Mission Market humming and the need growing during the holidays, the food bank is needing volunteers more than ever.

"I don't think that need ever really goes away," Martin said.

A new offering this year is the launch of TAFB's first ever Holidays of Hope Gift Catalog, found at www.tafb.org/gifts, where individuals can donate "gifts" of beans, produce, chicken and more to those in need. The funding also helps support programs such as the Community Garden and Home Delivery.

TAFB West is also working on starting an advisory committee made up of local leaders in the community, with a goal to "open doors and help the food bank expand its footprint," Burge said.

To apply for food benefits, view volunteer opportunities or learn more about Tarrant Area Food Bank, visit tafb.org.