Where to find food banks and food pantries in DFW

Across Dallas-Fort Worth, food banks and food pantries form the backbone of the region’s hunger-relief efforts. They are often the first stop for anyone navigating a sudden disruption in financial stability that makes food access harder than it should be. These organizations move millions of pounds of food through warehouses, church halls, community centers, and drive-through lines to make sure people in DFW have reliable access to food.

Food banks and food pantries exist to meet urgent needs, and our local volunteers step up to help. They sort donations, organize and staff distribution days, and help our neighbors navigate everything from weekly grocery support to SNAP enrollment. 

While food banks and pantries are not the only places offering up free food resources (the area also has a number of mutual aid groups and other resources), they are generally the first place someone turns to in an emergency. We’re offering this long—but not exhaustive—list of resources for anyone looking for food support in North Texas, as well as for folks who would like to donate or volunteer. Whether you need groceries this week or are searching for a way to give back, DFW’s food banks and pantries offer practical, meaningful ways to strengthen our community.

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Major Food Banks and Distribution Hubs

North Texas Food Bank 

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization headquartered at 3677 Mapleshade Lane, Plano, TX 75075. It serves a twelve-county region surrounding Dallas, providing access to nutritious food for families, seniors, and children experiencing food insecurity. Founded in 1982, NTFB plays a central role in North Texas’s anti-hunger network.

The organization’s mission is to close the hunger gap in North Texas by distributing donated and purchased food through a large regional network of partner agencies, including pantries, shelters, and community centers. NTFB’s service area encompasses counties such as Collin, Dallas, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall, and others, collectively reaching hundreds of thousands of residents.

NTFB operates mobile food pantries and targeted feeding initiatives for children, seniors, and veterans. Its programs include nutrition education, volunteer packing events, and school-based meal support. Every $1 donated is estimated to provide three healthy meals, and roughly 94 percent of resources directly fund hunger-relief programs.

Through partnerships with nearly 500 community organizations, the Food Bank distributes more than 400,000 meals each day, or about 2 million pounds of food per week. It also hosts corporate volunteer opportunities and community events at its Perot Family Campus in Plano, which houses its main warehouse and volunteer center.

NTFB has become one of Texas’s most recognized food banks, receiving strong community support and volunteer engagement. In 2024 alone, the organization provided millions of meals across its 13-county network.

Tarrant Area Food Bank 

The Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB) is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization headquartered at 2600 Cullen St., Fort Worth, TX 76107. It operates as the primary food distribution hub for charitable feeding programs across thirteen North Texas counties, supplying millions of meals annually to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity.

Founded to eliminate hunger through community collaboration, TAFB gathers, inspects, and redistributes donated fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable food from producers, retailers, and the public. The organization partners with more than 300 local pantries, shelters, and meal programs. It is an affiliate of Feeding America, ensuring alignment with national hunger-relief standards.

TAFB’s initiatives extend beyond food distribution. Programs such as Cooking Matters, Community Kitchen, and Youth Nutrition Education teach healthy eating on limited budgets. Specialized efforts include a home delivery program for homebound individuals, community gardens supporting local food growth, and the Commodity Supplemental Food Program that provides monthly USDA boxes to qualifying seniors.

Serving counties including Tarrant, Denton, Parker, Johnson, and Wise, the food bank provides the equivalent of more than 2 million meals monthly. It helps roughly 168,000 people each month through its partner network.

Volunteerism and philanthropy sustain TAFB. Thousands of volunteers assist with food sorting, repackaging, and mobile pantries, while donors contribute funds equating each $10 donated to 50 meals. The organization frequently hosts community events such as “Empty Bowls” and “Bank on Women,” connecting civic participation with hunger awareness.

The food bank is led by President & CEO Julie Butner, supported by an executive team overseeing operations, external affairs, and community engagement from its Morris Foundation Distribution Center at the Cullen Street campus.

Community Food Bank

Community Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization located at 3000 Galvez Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76111. Serving Tarrant County and the surrounding areas, it provides direct food assistance and supports other local pantries to fight hunger and poverty through food distribution, education, and community programs.

Founded in 1982, Community Food Bank’s mission is to “fight hunger and poverty with food, education, programs, and resources to families in a dignified, personal, and timely manner.” It operates without zip code restrictions and emphasizes dignity and accessibility. Its programs include a Rapid Food Pantry Distribution Program serving families, seniors, veterans, the working poor, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

The organization also supplies surplus food to more than 30 partner food pantries across North Texas. In addition to groceries, it distributes diapers, hygiene items, and household goods. Community Food Bank partners with retailers such as Walmart Distribution Center, Good360, and Hope Supply Company to rescue and redistribute food and essentials

Each week, thousands of pounds of food are distributed directly to individuals and families. The food bank also offers community service opportunities, workforce training, and partnerships with agencies such as Texas Workforce’s Career Steps program and local reentry initiatives, providing skill development and employment pathways.

Community Food Bank relies heavily on community donations of both food and funds. It accepts shelf-stable and perishable goods donations from private individuals and retailers, and encourages creative food drives to engage local schools and businesses. Volunteers play a vital role in packing and distributing food.

Community Food Bank continues to be a key support hub for residents in need throughout North Texas, embodying its motto: “Feeding Families, Feeding Hope.” The food bank can be reached by telephone at (817) 924-3333.

The Dallas Salvation Army – Food Distribution Center

The Dallas Salvation Army – Food Distribution Center offers drive-through and pantry food distributions across North Texas, including weekly food support. Located at 5302 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX, it is part of the Carr P. Collins Social Service Center operated by The Salvation Army of North Texas. This facility provides essential food assistance and social services to individuals and families facing food insecurity throughout Dallas County. It serves as a cornerstone of the organization’s broader mission to “Do the Most Good” by meeting both immediate and long-term community needs.

The center offers a food pantry and drive-through food distribution that supplies groceries and fresh produce. Assistance typically includes food boxes designed to sustain individuals or families for several days, and eligible households may receive aid once every 30 days. The site also connects visitors to additional social support, such as emergency housing, case management, and other community programs. Hours of operation generally run weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with food distribution taking place mid-morning on designated days

Positioned near the Dallas Medical District, this center supports thousands of low-income and unhoused residents each year. As one of North Texas’s largest Salvation Army hubs, it partners with regional food networks and civic groups to combat hunger and homelessness. The operation contributes significantly to reducing food insecurity rates in Dallas County by providing nutritious meals and connecting clients with longer-term assistance programs.

The Dallas Food Distribution Center is part of the Salvation Army’s regional infrastructure, which includes additional food and social service centers in Fort Worth, Irving, Garland, and Pleasant Grove. Together, these facilities distribute millions of pounds of food annually across North Texas and function as both crisis-response units and ongoing community aid providers

Community Pantries & Free Food Programs

Ledbetter Eagle Ford Community Food Pantry

The Ledbetter Eagle Ford Community Food Pantry is a nonprofit organization located at 5227 Nomas Street, Dallas, Texas 75212. This organization is dedicated to fighting food insecurity and serving families in the Ledbetter Eagle Ford neighborhood and greater West Dallas area. It operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable pantry.

Founded by Henry and Isabel Martinez, the pantry was officially established on July 4, 2023, though its grassroots origins trace back to 2020 as a neighborhood effort to alleviate hunger. Its mission is to ensure that nobody in the community goes hungry. The organization also seeks to preserve the local historical narrative of the Ledbetter Eagle Ford community while enriching residents’ lives through service and partnership.

The pantry offers multiple programs, including weekly food distributions, emergency food assistance, and community education initiatives. It accepts all individuals in need without proof-of-income requirements. It also provides volunteer opportunities and collaborates with other community groups for seasonal celebrations like the annual “Christmas Lights en el Barrio” festival. 

Partnering with local organizations and city initiatives, such as the Food Access Fair, the Ledbetter Eagle Ford Community Food Pantry helps connect residents with essential nutrition resources. On average, volunteers serve 50=80 people per event. 

The pantry’s motto, “Let your light shine before others,”, underscores its mission of service through faith. It promotes kindness, volunteerism, community building, and solidarity as its spiritual and social foundations for combating hunger.

Local Good Pantry

The Local Good Pantry is a community-based food pantry located at 741 S Sherman St, Richardson, TX 75081. Operated as part of the Local Good Collective—founded by Chase Oaks Church—it provides food and essential items to folks who are facing food insecurity across North Texas. 

Local Good Pantry’s mission is “to provide good food and essentials with great dignity to those in our community.” The pantry distributes fresh produce, meats, and ready-to-eat meals to both housed and unhoused neighbors. It operates three days a week: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and feeds roughly 9,000 individuals monthly through a mix of drive-up and walk-up programs.

The pantry opened in November 2023 after another Richardson food pantry closed. Discussions with the City of Richardson and the North Texas Food Bank led to its launch under the Local Good Collective banner. Its parent organization also includes Local Good Center, Local Good Coffee Co., and Local Good Resale.

Since opening, Local Good Pantry has expanded rapidly, growing from serving about 200 people daily to around 500. It supports diverse residents across Collin and Dallas counties, with particular attention to vulnerable BIPOC communities. The pantry’s holistic approach aims not only to alleviate hunger but also to strengthen local volunteerism and cross-sector collaboration.

Local Good Pantry relies heavily on volunteers and donations. Both kind individuals and community groups assist with food distribution, logistics, and outreach. Financial contributions also help maintain food access in an area that ranks among Texas’s top three for food insecurity.

Hunger Busters

Hunger Busters is a Dallas-based nonprofit organization located at 3116 Sylvan Ave, Dallas, TX 75212, dedicated to combating childhood food insecurity. Its mission, summarized as “Feeding Kids Fueling Futures,” focuses on providing nutritious afterschool meals to children in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) who might otherwise miss dinner.

Through its signature Feed the Need program, Hunger Busters prepares and delivers more than 3,500 fresh meals each school day to DISD students. Each meal typically includes a sandwich, milk, fruit or vegetables, and a cookie. And each meal is made fresh daily.

Since its founding, Hunger Busters has distributed over 5 million meals and aims to expand its reach through volunteer engagement and corporate partnerships. The organization emphasizes the link between proper nutrition and improved academic outcomes. Its current fundraising goals include a $5 million campaign toward expanded facilities.

In 2024, Hunger Busters temporarily shut down operations after the theft of its HVAC system, which damaged refrigeration and halted meal production. Despite setbacks, their leadership, headed by CEO Dr. Latame Phillips, pledged to restore operations quickly.

Hunger Busters relies heavily on volunteers for daily meal preparation and delivery, as well as on private donations and sponsorships to sustain operations. Individuals and companies can support the organization through volunteering, donating funds, or partnering in outreach initiatives. Together, these efforts help reduce hunger’s impact on Dallas’s most vulnerable youth.