Arlington Charities steps up to address food insecurity in DFW area

Arlington, Texas - In the expansive Dallas metropolitan landscape, a distressing figure emerges – a staggering 700,000 families are battling with food insecurity, according to the latest statistics from United Way Metropolitan Dallas.

This problem intensifies during school holidays, when the provision of school-supplied breakfast and lunch halts for numerous children, transforming the acquisition of nutritious food into a formidable hurdle.

This situation is precisely where Arlington Charities intervenes, with the aspiration to make a substantial difference and extend a supportive hand.

One distinguishing element of their operation is a mobile food market for those confined to their homes, unable to embark on a quest for supplies. This inventive approach refashions the conventional grocery shopping paradigm, providing crucial aid to homebound individuals.

“We are a nonprofit social service agency, and our primary mission is addressing food insecurity in the Arlington area,” said Casey McCollum, program director, to NBC DFW. “We do that in a number of different ways. We have a daily drive-through pantry every single day from about 9 a.m. until noon and we serve about 140 households every day.”

“We send that truck out into the community into food deserts with fresh produce and meal and eggs on it. It’s neat,” McCollum stated.

Nevertheless, McCollum underlines that the scope of the organization's role extends beyond mere food distribution. He conveyed that education forms an essential part of their mission.

“We really value education here as well. Not just helping people with food but helping them beyond other needs that they might have. Part of that is education and we know that many of our families have children. That’s why we wanted to create this new program to help,” McCollum expressed.

This program combines feeding with the promotion of reading.

“The summer slide where all that knowledge from the kids just falls out their ears over the summer. We wanted to help the kids keep reading over the summer and we know that kids that begin reading sooner, do better in school. So, we wanted to help feel the gaps,” McCollum elaborated.

Families who register for the ‘Read and Feed’ initiative will be provided with food, books selected for varying age groups, and a bag of wholesome snacks.

McCollum recognized the pivotal role of Atmos Energy, whose bountiful contribution enabled this summer's program. While hinting at forthcoming events, he emphasized the significance of registration.