No cost summer meals available for North Texas children

(Special to The Dallas Examiner) – Texas as the leading state in food insecurity, surpassing California, with nearly 5 million residents affected, recent data from Feeding America’s 2024 Map the Meal Gap study highlighted.The Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks highest in Texas and third in the nation for the number of people experiencing hunger. Within the 25 counties served by NTFB and Tarrant Area Food Bank, 1.2 million individuals, or 1 in 7, face food insecurity, with nearly 40% of them being children. Specifically, more than 436,000 children in the DFW area, or 1 in 5, are at risk of hunger, particularly during the summer when school meal programs are unavailable.Related Stories “When schools are closed for the summer, many families are faced with replacing free or reduced priced meals their children receive on campus during the school year – sometimes up to 10 meals per week for each child,” said North Texas Food Bank President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. “In addition to the food available from local food banks, the Summer Meals Program helps ensure that children are nourished during the summer and ready to learn when school starts in August.”Children and teens, as well as enrolled students with disabilities...