Tarrant Area Food Bank & Homeless Coalition Combat Hunger & Homelessness
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, a nationwide week of action where people draw attention to poverty, is in full swing this week.
The Tarrant Area Food Bank and Tarrant County Homeless Coalition are recognizing the occasion and doing what they can to further their fight against poverty with special education, community service, and advocacy events to address these issues.
"Hunger and homelessness are epidemics that sadly affect too many members of our community," said Julie Butner, President and CEO, Tarrant Area Food Bank. "We're partnering to educate our communities on food insecurity with this underserved population during Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and rally public support leading to a call for solutions."
According to the Food Bank, the food insecurity rate in Tarrant County is 18.5%, which is higher than both the statewide average of 13% and the nationwide average of 10.5%.
This number includes an estimated one-in-five children.
On any given night, an estimated 27,229 people are homeless across the state of Texas.
These problems have only been made more serious by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has only strengthened the resolve of the Food Bank and Homeless Coalition.
"The challenges that we have faced through the COVID-19 pandemic have proven that when we work together, we can and do find ways to keep our neighbors at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness safe and well." said Lauren King, Executive Director of The Homeless Coalition. "Partnering with Tarrant Area Food Bank and our local Universities to bring Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week efforts to our area allows us the space to continue having the conversations needed to find real solutions for these complex issues in our community."
Together, these organizations and their partners hope to make Tarrant County a better place for its most vulnerable residents.
More information about the Tarrant Area Food Bank's efforts to fight poverty can be found on its website.
The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition can also be found online.
