To combat childhood hunger in Fort Worth, Mayor Mattie Parker bestowed a $10,000 grant to the Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) on Tuesday. This move aims to expand TAFB's Ready to Learn in-school market program, ensuring that students at Carroll Peak Elementary and Kirkpatrick Elementary have access to nutritious food options throughout the year, particularly over summer break when they lack school-provided meals. Parker, who serves as the vice-chair of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, said, "We simply cannot expect our kids to be successful in life when they are facing hunger," highlighting the urgency of the initiative in the City of Fort Worth.
According to a report by the Tarrant Area Food Bank, one in four children in their 13-county service area lives in food-insecure households. The $10,000 grant, approved by the Fort Worth City Council, comes courtesy of the No Kid Hungry Campaign of Share Our Strength and will allow for the addition of refrigeration units in the Ready to Learn in-school markets at the two elementary schools. "The Ready to Learn in-school markets alleviate summer hunger by providing students and their families with consistent access to nutritious meals year-round," TAFB president & CEO Julie Butner said, as per the City of Fort Worth.
Mayor Parker emphasized the collaborative effort required to address food insecurity, stating, "We have the momentum right now to lead on the policies and programs that will have a lasting impact on food insecurity." The Ready to Learn program, which currently supports 72 in-school markets, aims to reach a total of 100 by the end of this calendar year, according to the City of Fort Worth.
The Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger, which was launched in 2022, leverages the leadership of mayors nationwide to end childhood hunger through policy and partnership initiatives. No Kid Hungry Texas Director Stacie Sanchez Hare lauded the mayor's commitment: "Through strong partnerships with schools, community organizations and policy makers in Fort Worth and across the state, No Kid Hungry has made significant strides toward ensuring every Texas child can count on three nutritious meals a day, every day," Hare praised in her remarks, as per the City of Fort Worth.
Parker, as the 2024 vice-chair and future chair of the Alliance in 2025, is spearheading this push against childhood hunger—one that resonates across the country. The Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition that works alongside the national nonprofit Share Our Strength and No Kid Hungry campaign to ensure children have the healthy food they need to thrive.
