Disclosure: This article is being shared to help our local community find food and other resources. Hours, eligibility requirements, available items and services can change, so please call before visiting any food pantry or resource listed in this article.

As prices rise higher and higher for the items we need to survive including gas, and groceries I was excited to learn about another #Holiday. National Food Bank Day was observed on the first Friday of September. In 2026, that meant September 4th.

I’ll be honest. When I first started thinking about writing something for National Food Bank Day, I didn’t want to just put together a list of food banks and tell you where to go. That didn’t feel like GreatfulMoments.com.

Because this isn’t just information to me. This is real life. I used to go to Food Banks when it was just Suzzane and I. Now, it’s something David and I have experienced.

And if you’re struggling to put food on your table right now, I want you to know something before you read another word: You are not the only one. Sometimes Life Gets Hard

The price of groceries keeps going up. It feels like you can walk into the grocery store with the same amount of money you spent last month and walk out with less food.

And when you have children, that can make things even harder. Or maybe you have a teenager. If you’ve ever lived with a teenage boy, you know what I mean when I say they can eat you out of house and home! Girls to sometimes.

Charlie is grown now, but I remember those days. And food isn’t something you can simply decide you don’t need. People have to eat. Children have to eat. Teenagers have to eat. Pets have to eat.

And when there is only one person working in a household, everybody has to come together. Sometimes that means swallowing your pride and saying: We need some help.

David and I Know what it is like because David and I are barely middle class. There are times when we struggle to keep food on our table. And I want to say that out loud because I think there are people who believe food banks are only for people who have absolutely nothing.

That’s not true. We’ve gone to a food pantry. We’ve accepted help. And we’ve been incredibly grateful for that help. We’ve even used Food Stamps in the past.

If your struggling I wanted to share one of the places David has gone to several times is the Community Enrichment Center in North Richland Hills beside the Church across from Sam’s and Walmart on Rufe Snow.

And when I say they’ve helped us, I mean they’ve really helped us. They don’t just hand someone a box of food and send them on their way. They can connect people with other resources, too.

They can help people learn about applying for SNAP benefits. They have employment resources. They can help connect people with other services. We’re praying and believing that their job resources will help Charlie this week.

And we’ve even been told they may be able to help my brother with his eyes and connect him with resources he needs. That’s why I don’t want anybody to look at a food pantry as simply a place where you go to get groceries. Sometimes the food is only the beginning and that is why I am grateful, thankful and blessed to be able to share these organizations with you.

And If You Don’t Want to Apply for Food Stamps… Which my brother doesn’t want to do. Please hear me on this one. If you don’t want to apply for SNAP or other assistance because you’re embarrassed, I understand that feeling.

But sometimes you have to put your pride aside and do what is best for your family. If there isn’t enough food, there isn’t enough food. And if applying for assistance means your children have enough to eat, then apply.

If it means your teenager has enough food to make it through the week, apply. If it means you can stretch the grocery budget far enough to pay another bill, apply.

There is no prize for struggling alone. And there is certainly no shame in using a program that exists to help people when they need it. Check it out and share it with everyone you know.

When one person is working and no, body else is trying to make things work at home, it takes the whole family. People need to cook what we already have instead of buying something else.

They need to help clips coupons. They need to skip something they want. They need to apply for SNAP. Then they need to visit a food pantry. Then they can share what they received with a friend or family member. That’s not failure. That’s family working together.

Here’s another thing I want you to remember. Your pets are family. If you’re visiting a food pantry or community resource center, don’t be afraid to ask whether they have pet food or pet supplies. Ask.

And while you’re asking, ask about the other things your family may need. Do they have diapers? Ask. Do they have personal-care items? Ask. Do they have medicine or laundry care products and housecleaning products? Ask.

Do they have information about where you can get help with medical needs? Ask. Do they have help with employment? Ask. Can they help you apply for SNAP? Ask.

Don’t be afraid to ask. They’re not mind readers. If you need something, they may not know unless you tell them. And even if they don’t have it, they may know someone who does. That phone call or that question could be the thing that connects you with the help you were looking for.

One of the biggest things my family has learned is a Food Pantry isn’t just about Food. When David goes to the Community Enrichment Center, he’s not simply looking for a box of groceries.

We’re looking for resources. We’re looking for information. We’re looking for ways to make things stretch. We’re looking for a little breathing room. And sometimes that’s exactly what somebody needs.

A little breathing room. Because when you’re worrying about how you’re going to feed your family, it can be hard to think about anything else. Trust me on that one.

Since I live in North Richland Hills, right next door to Haltom City, I wanted to make sure this article included resources close to home. These are places I want my neighbors to know about.

But please remember: call before you go. Unexpected circumstances happen. Weather happens. Staffing issues happen. Holidays happen. Food distributions can change. And a place that normally operates on a particular day may not be open that day.

The last thing I want is for you to gather your family, find transportation, drive somewhere and discover that they’re closed. So please call first because that can save you time and gas.

Community Enrichment Center

6250 NE Loop 820
North Richland Hills, TX 76180
817-281-1164

The CEC currently lists its food pantry hours as:

Monday–Friday: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 5:30–7:30 p.m.

The food pantry provides groceries to qualifying households, with available items including things such as produce, proteins, dairy products and pantry staples. The organization also offers or connects people with other support services. (cechope.org)

Please call 817-281-1164 before you go to confirm that the pantry is open, find out what you need to bring and ask about the current requirements.

Haltom City Community Food Pantry

Haltom City also has a monthly Community Food Pantry at the Haltom City Housing Authority, 2800 Moneda Ave.

The city lists this pantry as being operated in partnership with Father’s Heart and the Tarrant Area Food Bank.

The city currently lists it for the third Wednesday of each month, with registration beginning at 1:30 p.m. and distribution from 2–4 p.m.

Again, please check with the city before making the trip because schedules can change.

This Food Bank is personal to my family. Years ago, David, Charlie and I lived in the mobile home park around the corner. There was a church that would come into the community and do Vacation Bible School and other activities for the children.

There was a government housing area there, and there used to be an elementary school. That community was part of our life. Its our home and where we would like to go back to one day.

Since we’ve moved away, they’ve developed more resources for the people living there, including a food pantry that operates once a month and serves people from the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

I love knowing that. And I especially love knowing that these resources are close to my mother-in-law and my neighbor, Miss Roma. They’re close enough that if they need help, they don’t necessarily have to travel across the Metroplex.

If they’re feeling well enough, they may even be able to walk. That matters. Because sometimes getting to the food pantry is half the battle. It’s even close enough Charlie and I could go for them.

There’s another resource I remember being available through the American Legion on Carson Street in Haltom City. But with this one, I’m going to tell you exactly what I would tell my own friends: Call first.

Don’t assume a food distribution is happening simply because you’ve heard that one was held there before. Ask whether food assistance is currently available, what day it is offered and what you need to bring. I’d much rather have you make a five-minute phone call than make a wasted trip.

Before You Go: Print This Checklist

Because I don’t want you to get there and discover that you left something important at home. Every food pantry has its own requirements, so call first and ask what they require.

Food Pantry Visit Checklist

☐ Call before leaving home.

☐ Confirm today’s hours.

☐ Ask whether registration or an appointment is required.

☐ Ask what identification you need.

☐ Ask whether you need proof of address.

☐ Ask whether you need proof of household income.

☐ Ask what information you need for everyone in your household.

☐ Ask whether there are special requirements for children or dependents.

☐ Ask whether they have diapers.

☐ Ask whether they have pet food or pet supplies.

☐ Ask whether they have personal-care items.

☐ Ask whether they can connect you with SNAP assistance.

☐ Ask whether they have employment or job-search resources.

☐ Ask whether they know of other organizations that can help with needs they don’t provide.

☐ Bring reusable grocery bags or boxes if recommended.

☐ Bring a way to transport your groceries home.

☐ Write down the phone number before you leave.

Most Important: ☐ Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need.

They’re not mind readers. If you don’t ask, they may never know that you need help with something besides food.

And What Can the Rest of Us Do? Maybe you’re reading this and you don’t need a food pantry. Praise God. But you can still help. You can donate food pet supplies and cleaning supplies.

You can donate money. You can volunteer. You can ask your local food pantry what they need. You can give someone a ride. You can share this article with someone who might need it.

You can check on an elderly neighbor. You can put a bag of dog food in your donation box because, yes, dogs are family too. And you can stop judging someone who walks through the doors of a food pantry.

You don’t know their story. You don’t know what happened last month. You don’t know what bill came due. You don’t know whether they are working. You don’t know whether they’re raising children.

You don’t know whether they’re caring for an aging parent. You don’t know whether they’re simply trying to survive a season that got harder than they expected.

Sometimes We Give. Sometimes We Receive. That’s probably the biggest lesson I want to share today. David and I have needed help. We’ve accepted help. And we are grateful, thankful and blessed for the people who have helped us.

When we have extra, we’re able to share with our friends and family. And that means the blessing keeps going. Someone helps us. We help someone else. Maybe that person helps somebody else.

That’s how a community works. That’s how neighbors take care of neighbors. And that’s why I wanted to talk about National Food Bank Day with you.

Not because I think everyone needs a food pantry. But because somebody reading this might. And I don’t want that person to think they’re alone. I don’t want them to think they’re a failure.

I don’t want them to think they have to be completely without money before they’re allowed to ask for help. And I certainly don’t want them to be too embarrassed to ask.

If you need help, ask. Ask about food. Ask about SNAP. Ask about jobs. Ask about diapers. Ask about pet food. Ask about medicine. Ask about whatever your family needs.

They may not have it. But they may know where you can find it. And sometimes knowing where to turn is the first step toward getting through a difficult season.

So today, on National Food Bank Day, let’s remember our neighbors in North Richland Hills, Haltom City and throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area. If you can give, give. If you can volunteer, volunteer. If you need help, ask.

And if somebody helps you today, remember that someday you may be the person who gets to reach back and help someone else. That’s something worth being grateful for.

✝️ Glenda | 🐸 David | 🎮 Charlie | 🦋 Suzanne

Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed.

GreatfulMoments.com