Dallas, TX, Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) announced the results of its 11th Annual Peanut Butter Drive, held throughout September, in conjunction with Hunger Action Month. This year’s campaign raised nearly $300,000 and gathered approximately 84,000 pounds of peanut butter to assist local families and children facing hunger.
For the third year, the drive expanded to include all 13 counties served by NTFB, mobilizing cities, neighborhoods, corporations, faith-based organizations, and community groups to collect peanut butter jars and raise funds. These donations will be distributed through NTFB’s Food 4 Kids backpack program and its extensive network of about 500 partner agencies. Peanut butter, a nutritious and shelf-stable food, plays a crucial role in providing healthy options for those facing food insecurity.
During the Peanut Butter Drive Reveal Ceremony on October 22 at NTFB’s Perot Family Campus in Plano, several key contributors were honored for their exceptional efforts:
- Top City: Plano
- Top City Per Capita: Fairview
- Top Company: NTT DATA
- Top Educational Organization: Rice Middle School, Plano ISD
- Top Faith-Based Organization: JustServe/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
- Top Neighborhood: Heritage Ranch in Fairview
- Top Community Group: HungerMitao
Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank, emphasized the significance of the drive: “The peanut butter drive is about more than just collecting food; it’s about ensuring that no child in our community goes hungry. We are incredibly grateful for the partnership and support from our community. As we continue to distribute record amounts of food, the contributions from the peanut butter drive are vital in providing nutritious options to the over 287,000 children facing hunger in North Texas.”
The drive was organized by a dedicated committee committed to fighting hunger. Each member coordinated efforts and actively engaged with various organizations and individuals to encourage participation. The 2024 Peanut Butter Drive Committee included:
- Raj & Anna Asava – HungerMitao
- Justin Bitner – Ryan LLC
- Dustin Davis – Ryan LLC
- Amy and Howard Dover – JustServe
- Rick Grady – Former Plano City Council
- Matthew Hayes – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – Plano
- James Huang – Nihao Food Bank Initiative
- Ying Jia – Nihao Food Bank Initiative
- Ron Johnson – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints – Plano
- James Thomas – Plano Independent School District
- Kathy Warman – NTT DATA
Cunningham concluded, “The North Texas Food Bank extends heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported the Peanut Butter Drive, including the committee members, participating cities, a generous local family for providing matching campaign funds, Kroger as the Grocery Champion Sponsor, and the State Fair of Texas for encouraging community participation through their opening day Peanut Butter Drive, and the community for supporting this annual initiative. This drive is essential in helping us fulfill our mission of providing food for today and hope for tomorrow.”
For more information on how to get involved in next year’s annual peanut butter drive, visit www.ntfb.org/peanutbutterdrive.
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About 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 100 million nutritious 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. Additionally, we are honored to be ranked 89th on Forbes’ 2023 Top 100 Charities in America. 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.