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December 15, 2008

FOOD BANK ANNOUNCES $156K BUDGET SHORTFALLAS ECONOMY IMPACTS BOTH DONATIONS AND NEED

Agency Calls for Help in Meeting Rising Demand for Food This Holiday Season

WHAT: The North Texas Food Bank, which supplies food to more than 900 local shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries, and after-school programs, is calling for help from the community as it faces a year-to-date budget shortfall of $156,000 - - enough to fund the distribution of 780,000 meals this holiday season. Additionally, the Food Bank must still raise more than $1million and 2.6 million pounds of food in December alone to meet current budgetary goals and close the gap on hunger in our community.

WHY: Demand from Member Agencies is up by 25-35% in recent months, due to the tough economy and an increasing number of families and seniors turning to the Food Bank for help in keeping food on their tables. “This shortfall means that less food will be available for distribution, further impacting families and children at a time when North Texans need us most,” explains NTFB CEO Jan Pruitt. “While many charities are taking a blow from this recession, it is especially significant to the Food Bank as people facing layoffs, home foreclosure and economic uncertainty are relying on us to keep from going hungry.”

WHO: The “new faces of hunger*” profiled in the NTFB’s holiday awareness campaign are inspired by the real stories of people benefiting from services provided by the NTFB and its Member Agencies:

The grandpa going hungry waiting for his check… the family going hungry to keep the heat on… the child going hungry every day after school… the dad going hungry after a 12-hour shift.

HOW: Supporters can donate funds or conduct an eco-friendly, cost effective Virtual Food Drive on the NTFB Web site at ntfb.org: Virtual Food Drive

Every dollar donated provides four meals and 97 cents of every dollar goes to hunger relief programs!

WHEN: Upcoming Coverage and interview opportunities include:

DAILY OPPORTUNITIES

Holiday Food Drives:

• Extinguish Hunger with Dallas Fire Department– Bring non-perishable food items to any Dallas Fire Department fire station through the end of Dec.
• NorthPark Center is holding a holiday canned food drive benefiting the NTFB. Bring donations to the valet parking stations or inside the Center, now through Jan 4. (Pls call if interested in covering).

NTFB: 4500 S. Cockrell Hill Road – Dallas, TX 75236

• *People new to receiving assistance from the NTFB and Member Agencies due to economy
• Agencies lining up to pick up daily food orders, volunteers sorting and boxing food
• New billboards: multimedia holiday awareness/fundraising campaign on the new face hunger
• On-site visuals: warehouse system, Chef James’ Community Kitchen & more
  

For more information, please contact:

Amanda O’Neal
North Texas Food Bank
Public Relations Manager
Cell- 972-510-4932
amanda@ntfb.org

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