North Texas Food Bank and UNT Dallas Team Up for Special Summer Food Distribution Friday, July 18

The monthly event will focus on helping families bridge the summer meal gap by providing fresh, nutritious food for children.

Dallas, TX, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is partnering with the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) to help families facing food insecurity during the summer. The organizations will host a free public mobile food distribution event on Friday, July 18, from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., or while supplies last, at the UNT Dallas campus in southern Dallas, located at 7300 University Hills Blvd.

Each participating family will receive about 60 pounds of nutritious food, including fresh produce, to help fill the gap left when school-provided meals are unavailable. While UNT Dallas and the NTFB hold a drive-through mobile pantry each month, this one is specifically focused on children who are out of school for the summer.

“For families who count on free or reduced-price school meals, summer can mean finding a way to provide up to 10 additional meals per week for each child,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “That’s a heavy burden for many households already struggling with rising costs.”

The costs of food, gas, and housing continue to force tough decisions for families across every ZIP code, such as choosing between groceries and medicine or utilities.

The need for food assistance remains high across North Texas. A recent Feeding America study found that Texas has the highest number of food-insecure people of any state, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks third in the nation. Within NTFB’s 12-county service area, nearly 744,000 people, including more than 250,000 children, don’t always know where their next meal will come from. Over 60% of that population lives in Dallas County.

“Summer break should be an opportunity to play, grow, and bond,” said Dr. Warren von Eschenbach, President of UNT Dallas. “Through this partnership with NTFB, we are helping ensure families, students, and children of all ages can enjoy their summer while staying nourished and healthy. It’s part of our mission to serve and strengthen our community.”

So far this year, the monthly mobile pantry events at UNT Dallas have provided approximately 140,000 pounds of food to more than 1,500 families and 7,000 people. Long lines usually form on University Hills Blvd. well before the gates open.

UNT Dallas has partnered with NTFB since 2020, hosting monthly mobile food distributions on campus. Each event is supported by student, faculty, and staff volunteers, providing relief to campus and community members. The university also operates the Trailblazers Care Pantry, an on-campus resource that provides groceries, hygiene products, and a Career Closet for students preparing for interviews or internships.

The July 18 food distribution is first-come, first-served, and no ID or pre-registration is required. Participants must arrive in a vehicle, as this is a drive-through-only event.

NTFB provides additional food assistance programs year-round

Neighbors seeking food assistance can visit  https://ntfb.org/our-programs/get-food-assistance/find-a-food-pantry/ to find a food pantry nearby that provides food and often other services, or they can find mobile food distributions across North Texas. Neighbors can also contact the North Texas Food Bank to learn about Senior Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

About UNT Dallas

The newest member of the UNT System, the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) is the city's only public four-year university. Located in southern Dallas and serving more than 3,800 students, UNT Dallas offers students a world-class, innovative education focused on career readiness and socioeconomic mobility. UNT Dallas is passionately committed to developing, nurturing and empowering the next generation of servant leaders in North Texas. For more information about the University of North Texas at Dallas, visit untdallas.edu.

About the North Texas Food Bank

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a leading nonprofit organization that fights hunger and provides children, seniors and families in North Texas access to nutritious food. For over 40 years, we have been at the forefront of hunger relief, committed to ensuring that no one in our community lacks access to healthy food. Our extensive network of 500 food pantries and organizations, volunteers, and donors enables us to deliver more than 137 million meals annually to those in need. Beyond just addressing hunger, we focus on nourishing lives by offering nutrition education, investing in our network partners, innovating solutions to eliminate hunger and advocating for policies that tackle the root causes of food insecurity.

Our dedication to excellence is reflected in our 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, highlighting our strong governance, integrity, and financial stability. As a proud member of Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief network, we are committed to ensuring everyone in North Texas has the nourishment needed to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. For more information, visit www.ntfb.org or connect with us on social media @NorthTexasFoodBank.

Attachments

Jeff Smith
North Texas Food Bank 
469-891-7022
jeff.smith@ntfb.org

Becky Mayad
UNT Dallas
214-697-7745
becky@mayadpr.com

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