The Hunger Center of North Texas
The Hunger Center of North Texas is the
research arm of NTFB.
Last year, our research partnership
with the Department of Economics at
Southern Methodist University produced
some powerful new insights about
hunger: lower financial management
skills significantly increase the risk of
food insecurity among households using
food pantry services. The SMU research
team led by Dr. Daniel Millimet found
that strong financial practices — like
budgeting, checking bills for accuracy and
maintaining a bank account — can make a
real difference in food security.
Financial management is a challenge at any income level. When one has limited options or unpredictable resources,
the stakes are much higher. To fight hunger more effectively, the Food Bank is exploring ways to align food
assistance with financial skill building, among other critical services. We were proud to share what we learned with
the DFW community through the local NPR station KERA 90.1, which devoted a segment of its One Crisis Away
series to the study.
Additionally, last year we partnered with Feeding America to release the newest Hunger in America report for our
North Texas service area. The report gave us a closer look at the face of hunger in our community, including how
issues like nutrition, healthcare, and education impact our client’s needs.
Through a partnership with the University of North Texas’ Department of Anthropology, The Hunger Center
captured 22 stories shared by North Texans who live with health issues and disabilities at different food security
levels as part of a report known as “A Mile in Their Shoes.” The research showed us that social connections can play
a significant role in food security; managing diet-related health conditions is a significant challenge for the foodinsecure; and high-quality food assistance is not equally accessible in all regions of North Texas.