The University of North Texas at Dallas will host a large Thanksgiving food distribution Saturday morning, Nov. 22.
The North Texas Food Bank, UNT Dallas, Tom Thumb/Albertsons, and global clothing retailer UNIQLO are partnering for the drive-through event, which begins at 9 a.m. on the UNT Dallas campus at 7300 University Hills Blvd. It is open to the public and does not require an income qualification.
Organizers initially planned to serve 500 vehicles, but increased capacity after seeing higher demand.
“We started getting a lot of buzz and [UNT Dallas] asked us to increase to a thousand so that’s what we’re prepared to do tomorrow,” said Enrique Rodriguez, who manages social services assistance programs for the North Texas Food Bank. “We’re going to feed 1,000 families tomorrow (well, 1,000 cars), so that really equates to 4,000 families.”
Each vehicle will receive a turkey and about 60 pounds of nutritious food. In addition, volunteers from UNIQLO will distribute HEATTECH thermal clothing as part of the company’s Heart of LifeWear initiative.
Rodriguez said the organization expects to see many families in need for the first time, still struggling in the aftermath of the recent 43-day government shutdown.
“People are still hurting right now,” he said. “The cost of food is still up. People have been having to decide whether they were going to pay bills or buy food during that tumultuous time.”
To receive food, participants will need to provide their name, ZIP code, and the number of people in their household. No income verification is required.
“This is what we do—500 events in the community,” Rodriguez said. “Tomorrow happens to be the big one at the UNT Dallas campus.”
The North Texas Food Bank has also secured an additional 15,000 turkeys that will be distributed to its 500 partner agencies in the days ahead.
For more information or to find a food pantry nearby, visit: ntfb.org/get-food-assistance.