Tarrant Area Food Bank Celebrates National Volunteer Week

The dictionary defines a volunteer as “a person who performs a service willingly and without pay.” At Tarrant Area Food Bank, that definition applies to thousands of volunteers who contributed more than 68,000 hours of service last year.

“The hours that our volunteers contribute is simply staggering,” said Linda Smith, volunteer services director, Tarrant Area Food Bank. “If we had to pay for the work they provide, it would require us to hire 33 full-time employees and our payroll would increase by $1.6 million.”

Volunteers at Tarrant Area Food Bank are depended upon daily to sort and package donated food that is then distributed to nearly 300 local food pantries. Additionally, volunteers harvest fruits and vegetables at one of the organization’s two gardens, support programs such as Community Kitchen and Cooking Matters and help out with a variety of cooking demonstrations and other community events.

“We know we can never do enough to say thanks to our volunteers,” said Smith. “What they give is so precious. They give us their time which ensures that no one in our community goes hungry. There isn’t a “thank you” big enough to cover that.”

Tarrant Area Food Bank relies on volunteers to ensure that hungry people have the food they need every day. To start your volunteer story, visit our Volunteer page to sign up.

Tarrant Area Food Bank (TAFB), based in Fort Worth, holds the belief that all people deserve regular, nutritious meals. TAFB works to empower communities to eliminate hunger by providing food, education and resources through innovation and collaboration. Through a network of 270 Partner Agencies, TAFB serves 13 counties in North Texas. Learn more by exploring our website and connecting with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.