The Tarrant Area Food Bank opened its 100th in-school food market last week in the Lewisville Learning Center to combat community food insecurity.
Because of food insecurity in the community, the Tarrant Area Food Bank opened its 100th in-school food market in the Lewisville Learning Center.
To ensure that students are well-fed during the school day and able to pursue their education, TAFB established their Ready To Learn program. The goal of the project is to combat food insecurity in academic spaces. To accomplish this, the organization partners with local school districts to install food markets where students can obtain nutritious groceries with no costs attached.
“The opening of the CHOICES Market at the Lewisville Learning Center demonstrates the power of collaboration and community support,” President and CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank Julie Butner said. “We are thrilled to partner with Lewisville ISD to provide this critical resource for families facing food insecurity, ensuring students have access to the most essential school supply: food.”
For its 100th grand opening, the food bank reached out to the LISD CHOICES department to set up a market in the LLC, an institute where handicapped students learn in a safe and dedicated space.
Across TAFB’s thirteen county service area, 18% of the population is under the threat of food insecurity; nearly 30% of that being children. With one in four kids being affected, the Ready To Learn initiative aims to work with regional school districts such as LISD to help fulfill their mission.
The two organizations have had a long-standing partnership for about a decade now and together have made many significant milestones in the development of the community.
This recent civic initiative is one of the many projects that the alliance has established to strengthen the area. By providing a source of safe and healthy meals for students of all classes, the organizations can see their goal of equipping all children with equal opportunities come to fruition.
“There’s a whole lot of science behind the fact that our brains need to be in a good place for us to learn optimally,” Monya Crow, head of the LISD Counseling and Social Work Team, said. “I don’t think any child should go hungry. The market is definitely putting something there at their fingertips that will increase their opportunity to ensure that they have what they need to be ready to learn.”
Over the past few weeks, the market has been well-received by the community. Children who struggle in school due to hunger now have a number of nutritious grocery options to stay energized throughout the day.
“We are deeply grateful for the partnership with the Tarrant Area Food Bank to help address food insecurity.” LISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Lori Rapp said. “The CHOICES Market serves as a vital resource for our families, helping students focus on learning without the burden of hunger.”
