Hunger Busters under fire: Dallas students no longer get daily meals as lawsuit raises questions

For years, a Dallas nonprofit has built its name on making meals for Dallas Independent School District students. Volunteers would gather at Hunger Busters every school day, putting together sandwiches and sides for thousands of students who were experiencing food insecurity at home. 

But a CBS News Texas investigation found those daily meals no longer being delivered to schools, despite the nonprofit's claims to the contrary. 

The 25-year-old charity has run largely on money raised through private donations and popular fundraisers. 

In November 2025, Hunger Busters held its signature annual event, a black-tie gala held at the Hilton Anatole. Tickets to "Meet the Chefs," which included a six-course meal, charity auction, gambling and swag bags, cost $400 each. While the nonprofit hasn't shared how much the event brought in, in previous years, "Meet The Chef" has raised a $250,000 in just one night.

That event was one of several fundraisers held last year under the leadership of CEO Latame Phillips, who took over the leadership role in 2023 after several years with the organization.

No more meals

Dallas ISD internal records show a formal agreement to accept the meals was in place in early 2020, before COVID-19 shut down schools and disrupted operations.

Hunger Busters' social media posts appear to show at least some deliveries resumed after the pandemic, with sandwiches being made until April 2024. Photos of volunteers since then, though, only show cookies and brownies. No sandwiches, and no brown bags.

The I-Team called every school Phillips listed in a 2024 grant application; none said they were receiving meals. Some said they used to get deliveries, but it had been years.

When we found Phillips at Hunger Busters in early January, he declined to be interviewed or answer most of our questions. We asked him directly: when did the daily meal deliveries stop? At first, he said, "about a year ago," but when we asked for more specifics, he told us he wasn't sure.

In an email, his only explanation was that the feeding model had changed to support after-school programs and churches, but he would not name any of them.

Money questions

Another nonprofit is suing Hunger Busters, claiming Phillips misused grant money. The Tyler Street Foundation claims Phillips applied for two grants to help pay for an additional delivery van and the purchase of the Hunger Busters building at 3116 Sylvan Avenue.

According to the lawsuit, Phillips accepted more than $116,000 then submitted altered documents to make it appear as if the van and land had been bought. 

In a court filing, Phillips contends the money was used for "programmatic services consistent with its general mission" and was not "diverted for personal use or gain."

"That doesn't make sense to me."

The I-Team reached out to all 23 board members previously listed on the Hunger Busters website. Only Dee Baker Amos, the board chair, agreed to interview. 

She told CBS News Texas' Andrea Lucia that she was not aware that the feeding model had changed.

ANDREA LUCIA: But you're the board chair. How do you not know?

DEE BAKER AMOS: So, I think that that is a really good question, and I will tell you as board chair that I should know. And as the board chair, I should be privy to the details around the operation, I should be privy to the financials and the revenue, and the fact that I don't know is a problem for me.

Amos pushed back against the idea that Hunger Busters is not serving food at all, but admitted that the board was focused more on fundraising and strategy and not the day-to-day operations.

ANDREA LUCIA: Where did the money go, if it wasn't going to daily meals?

DEE BAKER AMOS:  So, your comment from Latame about the food not being delivered for a whole year, this is the first time I've heard that. I'm not aware that we've not been feeding anybody for a full year. That doesn't make sense to me.

Amos' term as board chair was set to end at the end of 2025, but she said she'd agreed to stay on as Hunger Busters decides how to address the lawsuit and questions about its transparency.

According to Amos, the board is in talks right now about the current state of the nonprofit and where it goes from here. She says questions about Phillips' future are "reasonable," but also called him a "really smart guy" who worked hard for Hunger Busters. 

"And I will tell you this," Amos added, "I have not one time prior to this questioned whether or not the way he was leading and how he was leading was the right thing."

Best practices for nonprofits

The easiest way to learn more about how a nonprofit handles its money is through IRS filings. Nonprofits are required to turn over up to three years' worth of forms to anyone who asks, but experts suggest taking it a step further and posting them online.

"Transparency, one, is a nonprofit's best friend," Dr. Elizabeth Dearing told the I-Team. Dearing, who is an associate professor at UT-Dallas, specializes in nonprofit management. While she did not comment on Hunger Busters specifically, she did talk about best practices in general.

"Make sure that you have your Form 990s online," Dearing suggested. "If you've got audited financial statements [put them] online, make sure your board is online."

A Form 990 is what small to mid-sized nonprofits file with the IRS each year. The most recent Hunger Busters filing posted online by the IRS is from 2021, before Phillips became CEO. The I-Team has made repeated requests to Phillips for the filings, which federal law requires he turn over to anyone who asks, but as of this report had not received them.

When it comes to a nonprofit's board, Dearing says size matters. Very small organizations may have a working board: members who actually carry out the day-to-day tasks and mission of the group. 

Other types of boards may focus only on advising or fundraising.

But regardless of size, Dearing says, every member should have basic knowledge of the organization. 

"I think that the formal responsibilities are relatively set, in terms of being knowledgeable and being able to answer for the Form 990 of the organization."