Friday, January 18, 2008

Audio interview: North Texas Food Bank

By Jimmie R. Markham of If Dallas Were A Podcast

Let me throw an incredible statistic out at you: 1 in 4 people in North Texas can’t afford to buy their next meal. In one of the most prosperous cities of one of the most prosperous states of the most prosperous nation on the planet, fully 25% of the people can’t afford to feed themselves. Think about it: you’re listening to this podcast, which means that you can afford a high-speed internet connection and an iPod, so obviously you’re not one of those 4 people. The next time your driving on the freeway, take a look around you. One of three people you’ll see out there will not be able to afford their next meal.

That’s why I visited the North Texas Food Bank and took a tour through their operation which is located at 4500 S. Cockrell Hill Road in Dallas. The good folks there distribute over 32 million pounds of donated food every year to over 760 feeding and education programs that feed the hungry: shelters, food pantries, after-school programs, residential treatment programs, emergency shelters, soup kitchens, senior-citizen shelters, low-income daycare and kids’ cafes. Those organizations, in turn, feed all the hungry people in 13 North Texas counties, including children, seniors, the homeless and low-income families who can’t afford to make ends meet.

I chatted with some of the amazing folks who work and volunteer there. As you listen, take notice that these truly inspired people, these truly selfless, mission-oriented people understand what the Son of Man was talking about when he said, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat… I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25: 34-35). Think about that the next time you sit down to eat. Let’s listen…

Download the podcast here.

Pegasus News content partner - If Dallas Were A Podcast

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