You don't move to the City of Excellence to be average. Thank God I ain't average! I moved into my new home in Plano two weeks ago and the water towers say it all. I'm right where I belong, in the City of Excellence ;) here's the thing... you aren't excellent if you aren't leaning in to help others. I'm passionate about a ton of things, giving back to others is one of the most important. I rescheduled my every 56 days blood donation to a nearby American Red Cross but being in my new town for two weeks seeing all that it gives, I knew it was time to research how I can make an immediate impact. North Texas Food Bank was a result of my research and I'm so excited about today's effort. After relocating I suppose it's quite fitting to select "Pack and Box" it's literally all I'd been doing the past few weeks, why stop now?!! I had the greatest first time volunteer experience. I signed up last night right before bed because and knew I was going to the gym at 6a with my neighbor so I selected the 1p (arrive by 1230p) time slot. Creating a new volunteer account was super straight forward. I was adding this event to my calendar within minutes. I was greeted by the sweetest ladies upon arrival, offered a locker key (wear a fanny pack if you don't have pockets and wish to bring your phone in) as you aren't wearing aprons. I left my phone in the locker. We did a brief orientation, hand washing and then volunteered for our assignments. I've put together a ton of boxes lately, so I opted for packing. I'm not certain I've ever handled so much boxed milk in my entire lifetime! I was first in the assembly line working hand in hand with Apple juice volunteer and let me just say, we did the damn thang!!! It was such a fun experience I never took a single break. My right arm will soon remind me of this fact. We packed 960 boxes, totaling 20 pallets, weighing 28,800 lbs, creating 24,000 meals! I'm a numbers nerd and love the data following your shift. It makes it that much more rewarding. Impact you can see and feel. There were several corporate groups, families and solo volunteers. Everyone was very kind. I'll definitely be volunteering here on a regular basis as my schedule provides. Thank you so much North Texas Food Bank! As a foodie, meals for those in need is a cause I hold near and dear to my heart. Highly recommend if you're looking to serve others. There are a variety of opportunities. I selected this one today but I may explore others in the near future. Hands down a superb way to spend 3 hours, and the warehouse is nice and cool on a warm day. Perfect place to volunteer in the summer (: read more

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Such a nice/big warehouse facility. Pretty clean and modern. My team and I came to volunteer, and the staff were all super helpful, and gave us good instructions and rules. The building is the size of 4 football fields, so it's massive. It felt so good to give back to our community. Please consider volunteering if you can, it's super easy to sign up and the process was super smooth. read more

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I have been volunteering at the North Texas Food Bank consistently for quite a few months now. I am super impressed at the professionalism and care their staff and volunteers put into making it a success. Every person I have encountered is very patient when teaching you new things and you can tell they're happy to be there helping the community. The NTFB serves 13 counties here in Dallas Fort Worth. The number of organizations and smaller food pantries affiliated with them is impressive. read more

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I have volunteered here a few times as the company I work has an office nearby and they encourage volunteering. It's easy to sign up with a group if you're looking for a group engagement. I love that you know the impact of your labor (and I leave a little sweaty sometimes) before you leave. The team leads make it easy and organized. There is something for everyone. So if lifting things around is not your jam, you can pack boxes or put boxes together. It's easy to sign up for a shift once you create an online account. You can also track your hours online too. read more

I highly recommend volunteering here since it is a really good place to contribute to the community and the volunteering is not too hard. It's a good way to contribute in the north Texas area. read more

The North Texas Food Bank provides 72 million meals per year in 13 counties. What other rating is deserved it but it five stars! I visited the North Texas food Bank as part of a work-related social action event. The building is new and beautiful, named after Ross Perot, and I would assume the result of Perot Foundation generosity. A large group was there on the day I attended. After being split into teams of 20 we were welcomed, trained, and spent 2 1/2 hours or so packing boxes with a specific combination of food items for needy families. The operation was well run, the staff friendly and helpful, and the overall experience was positive. Having said that, the volunteer experience is less the point than the good being done here. As long as I've been involved in volunteerism, the North Texas Food Bank has been here doing what it does. It's very simple, and they do it very well. I've always had high regard for the organization, even more so having finally had a personal experience with their volunteer program. If you're looking for a way to give back, their morning shift from 9 to 11:30 AM is very accessible, and easy to register for through their website. Most highly recommended! read more

North Texas Food Bank - Food Banks Near Me - Plano, Texas

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If you give, they never stop the junk mail. I had given in the past, but got tired of the steady stream of junk mail from them asking for more money. I have repeatedly asked them to stop. They won't. read more

If you are looking for a place to give back to the community I highly suggest you come to the NTFB. They have many time slots available for you to come and give back to the community and your impact is more than you know. read more

What an amazing company to volunteer for I was very impressed with their goals and visions for north Texas They really make it a goal to feed as many families as possible in the area There is just so much food they have available and ready to distribute read more

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I went and volunteered this morning for their a.m. shift and it was great! They have two shifts during the week, 9-11 and 1-3 which are great times and not too long of a shift for anyone that has a physical concern. This facility is impressive and so well ran. This staff does a wonderful job and gave us a tour upon request. The benefits of volunteering are HUGE! They do offer volunteer opportunities for children 10 years + accompanied by an adult. They also mentioned January, February and March as more critical times that they need volunteers. They make it very easy and walk you through what you need to know. Just make sure you have closed-toe shoes and are dressed to move around, lift, etc. read more

This is a very nice building. Didn't have a problem finding it. The safety briefing was detailed and I really liked that we had so much room to work. Our group had an amazing time volunteering. Ms Mary was fierce but made things fun. read more

North Texas Food Bank - Our team - Food Banks Near Me - Plano, Texas

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What a tremendous blessing it was to serve here. Our kids did an incredible job handing out food but in all honesty it was all because of the staff at the food bank. The staff there are very good at what they do. read more

North Texas Food Bank - Loading up food in cars. - Food Banks Near Me - Plano, Texas

Such an awesome place. Our work team had a conference in town and we opted to volunteer here. They are so well organized and the initiative is more than awesome. I would definitely come back and volunteer again next time I'm in town. Their organization is so great and they definitely prove to show a huge difference in their community. Love it! read more

North Texas Food Bank - Food Banks Near Me - Plano, Texas

I had been donating to the North Texas Food Bank for 10 years, usually in the $50 to $150 Range. However, last year I received a $15 gift card from Walmart from my company's owner for putting towards my families Thanksgiving Dinner. I took the $15 gift card and wrote a check for $35 and sent it in to the North Texas Food Bank. Imagine my surprise when 2 weeks later the $15 gift card and my $35 check were returned to me. The message was the Food Bank no longer accepts Gift Cards as donations. Ok, they don't accept gift cards anymore and I guess my $35 check was too small for them to process? I wrote a letter to the North Texas Food Bank about my experience with my donation. They never responded to my letter. I recently heard a radio spot where the North Texas Food Bank was advertising on the Radio around Christmas, reminding people in the Metroplex to donate to the local North Texas Food Bank. I thought Radio spots were expensive, so I am surprised my donation last year was rejected. Oh well, there are many other worthy charities in the Area to donate to. Note: I did try to resolve this with the North Texas Food Bank directly. They just didn't respond! read more

Awesome place. Can drop off donations here. Dried foods, peanut butter, etc. Very neat and organized.

Great place for volunteer work; staff makes you feel appreciated.

This may be the best place to volunteer from. I had a group of 25 people come out here on a Saturday morning. We were able to stack 9 pallets of food in about 2 hours. That is over 10,000 meals. You are able to perform your volunteer work in a clean cool environment. The staff is wonderful. I highly recommend this place for volunteering. read more

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Volunteering for Hurricane Harvey relief. We were given instructions on what to do and shown how to do it. There were about 90 people there to volunteer. The facility was air conditioned, very clean, and organized. The staff was friendly! Will definitely volunteer here again. read more

North Texas Food Bank - Food Banks Near Me - Plano, Texas

We had bought several bags of fry food and cans to be dropped off before the holidays but they ended up being closed. The drop off a few days ago was quick and easy. The employee was friendly and thanked us for our donations read more

We love the NTXFB and have been strong financial supporters of theirs for many years. You can confidently donate here knowing with 100% certainty that your dollars are matched and spent with rigorous professional oversight and accountability. The warehouse is clean and organised, professionally run and spacious. Donated food is kept on pallets and never touches the floor. The NTXFB is a hub for food distribution for multiple social service agencies and food pantries throughout the area. We will sing their praises to anyone who will listen. read more

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This place is AWESOME! The amount of food that they provide to the DFW Metroplex is just amazing! This was my first time volunteering at a food bank and it was just such a pleasant, fun and humbling experience. The workers are all nice, they take the time out to give you interesting facts about their services and the work that they do on a daily basis is SERIOUS! It was hard work sorting the food, I will tell you that. A lot of moving, shaking, yelling, communication, teamwork between the communities that were volunteering and you feel good when you know that your hard work will help someone or some family. read more

The safety videos are so cheesy, but these people truly care about the work they do and truly appreciate the volunteers and donations that come through their doors. Beside being an excellent cause, there's a reason why so many companies partner with the NTFB for community service. The workers are passionate and inspire volunteers to want to keep coming back outside of a work sponsored event to give back. They can accommodate a crazy amount of people and keep your busy for the entire length of your shift. At the end, they'll tell you how many pound of food or how many people will have have food on the table thanks to your group's efforts. read more

They do great work in our community, and make it the easiest possible place to volunteer time as an individual or as an organization! You will not have any questions on what they need from you when you're there, there's even a volunteer coordinator who welcomes you, shows you some safety / information videos, and then they break you into teams to get to work. There's a morning shift and an afternoon shift that you can choose from. The staff themselves are so kind, and fun, and you know before you leave what kind of impact you made for North Texas. I highly highly recommend working with them if you want to bank some karma points! read more

Food for thought NTFB holds a very special place in my heart. This charity is one of the best run in North Texas. I both donated and volunteered here several times with my coworkers and friends. Each time I've volunteered, I have fun while helping others, that's the best kind of fun. They make the volunteer process so easy and have a big smile to welcome you. If you are wanting to only contribute monetarily, I can't think of a better place. For every dollar contributed, 94 cents of that dollar goes to their cause and not their fundraising/administration. Moreover, they multiply that dollar into 3 meals. It sounds almost biblical, multiplying the fish and bread to feed the masses. I would like to share a personal story as to why this charity is so near and dear to me. When I was a kid in middle school, I was transferred to a academy school (it was supposed to be a better school for me academically), it was in far South Dallas and I stood out like sore thumb. I had my fair share of bullies, but the one I remember best was a large kid who would follow me to my seat in the cafeteria. He would always ask if I was "going to eat that," while he put his fingers in my food. I would defiantly say yes, even though I would normally just toss it. He would do this to the other kid next to me, but that kid would relent and just give him the food. This would happen just about every day, and would be defiant and negate my lunch to the kid I saw as my bully. Until one day the other kid whispered in my ear "don't you see, he's just hungry". That's is when I realized that I had never seen my bully with anything to eat. He was always just scavenging food from others. I always had said no, but he didn't try to hurt me... I was his bully. There are so many people who need help, 1 in 4 kids go hungry every day in Dallas and surrounding suburbs (yeah, poverty is there too). When I grew up, I often heard "eat all your food, there are kids in Africa/India/China/Mexico who don't have enough to eat"! It never occurred to me that even in my own neighborhood, there are people who go hungry every day. If it wasn't for the North Texas Food Bank, so many would have nothing to eat. They don't just offer food, they educate people on how to plan meals and make healthy choices with food. Please help this very worthy charity defeat hunger in North Texas. https://web.ntfb.org/get-involved/donate-money/donate-now For when I was hungry... read more

North Texas Food Bank - Mmmm - Food Banks Near Me - Plano, Texas

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I volunteer here often and nothing makes you feel better about yourself than giving up three hours of your life to do some good for the community! not only does it count for giving back but it also teaches you to work in team and with other people. Shifts are from morning and afternoon from 1-3:30PM, you could go in a group or individually but sign up on their website to be sure there are spots available. The place is run by mostly other volunteers so they understand your needs. Time will go by super fast so it doesnt even feel like you're there for a long time. You will be constantly busy and I love that this place is very organize! they have a system that they do and it works read more

Very well organized place. It is a huge warehouse, however you will be greeted by the volunteers once you are at the door. They will weigh and print out a receipt for you. read more

My daughter was all set to volunteer with this organization all summer. The first day she was registered at the distribution plant. When she arrived to check in, no one had her name. Finally, they put her to work but first there was a lot of confusion. Today she was registered for Garden Sunny South to work in the garden. She went down to the location and discovered that no one was there. I called the North Texas Food 4 times to see why no one was at the Garden Sunny South. The first time my phone call was transferred to a line that no one answered. I called 3 more times and no one answered. Finally I told my daughter to come home. She will no longer volunteer for the North Texas Food Bank. I will no longer donate any money to this organization. read more

Me and my kids went here to volunteer and the experiences was so fun and meaningful. We get to arranged food cans, pack them up, etc. My girls had so much fun for their first time volunteer. You can sign up to volunteer on their website and you can choose the date and time that is best for you. Super convenience and just an amazing place to come when you just want to help out the community. I love everyone here, so nice and fun to work with. They always need volunteer to help out so don't wait and sign up right now! read more

I felt compelled to come to the defense of the North Texas Food Bank as regards the negative (One Star) review by Jo S. on 6/18/2018. I believe I speak from long experience. I lead a non-profit called the SoupMobile (we feed the homeless in Dallas) & our charity has been a member agency of the NTFB for the past 15 years. The review reminded me that in a time of social media we can quickly & anonymously cast aspersions on the efforts of an organization 'without' making the extra effort to look at the situation from the perspective of the other party. In this case the other party is the NTFB. I believe Jo S when she said her daughter had a negative experience at the NTFB. However with just a little digging (i.e. research on the same social media that allowed this one star review) we would find that the NTFB has been thru a difficult & might I even say a traumatic year. Just a few months ago Jan Pruitt (longtime 20 year faithful staffer & President of NTFB) died. And while Trisha Cunningham (current President of NTFB) is doing an amazing job, losing Jan after a 20 year career with the food bank was a hard blow to the organization. Then fast forward a few months to the summer of 2018 when Jo S daughter had her negative experience at the food bank. The NTFB is in the midst of a huge move to new facilities. The logistics of this move (while perhaps not the same as putting a man on the moon) are beyond what we could imagine. During this move the food bank has to do double duty. They have to maintain their old facility right up to the last moment of the move and then they have to be ready to open the doors of the new facility without missing a beat. No person, No company, No non-profit on the PLANET could lose an amazing leader like Jan AND make a major move to a new facility without some hiccups. And hence Jo's daughter fell between the cracks. The NTFB has been faithfully serving the poor/homeless/hungry in Texas since 1982 and provides millions upon millions of meals to those in society that struggle to find food every day. This is an honest, reputable and well run organization. 94 cents of every dollar donated to the NTFB goes directly to providing meals for the hungry. More than 30,000 people volunteer at the NTFB every year. These volunteers overwhelming speak in highly positive terms of their experience with the NTFB, even though it doesn't always go perfectly. These volunteers 'get it' that sometimes things fall between the cracks, sometimes charities don't get it all perfect & sometimes the red carpet gets snagged when its being rolled out for volunteers. Such is life! If we are looking for perfection, look back 2,000 years ago but don't look to the NTFB (or any charity) for that same perfection. As a young boy growing up in Detroit, Michigan my father taught me the value of working out disagreements/disappointments by meeting with the person/organization in question and talking things out. But that was well before the time of social media when we could anonymously take a person/organization to task without looking deeper into the situation. I think social media has made us lazy. I believe as adults we are setting the wrong example for our youth. Social media can (and does) have a proper place in our society. However I believe it should not take the place of mature adults recognizing that no one is perfect and that with just a little compassion we can (and should) see the situation from the other persons perspective. I'm not making excuses for the mixup up with Jo S daughter's negative volunteer experience at the NTFB. I'm only saying that in the bigger picture (death of Jan Pruitt & huge move to new facilities) that MAYBE--JUST MAYBE we could cut the NTFB some slack. And maybe, just maybe we could start to treat our fellowman with more love, caring & compassion before we post a negative review on social media. The NTFB has faithfully served (since 1982) the ones that Jesus calls the 'least of these'--the poor, the hungry, the homeless & the less fortunate in our society. So I say to the NTFB. I salute you! I applaud you! I champion what you are doing! AND I DO THIS ALL IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOT PERFECT. Signed, David Timothy, a.k.a. SoupMan. Executive Director--SoupMobile Inc. read more

Without question, a noble and worthy cause. As far as volunteer opportunities go, this place has it down to a science. If it's one thing a team of engineers doesn't like, it's disorganization and feeling like precious weekend hours were wasted on unproductive actions. One needs no such worry here. After a brief introduction on what NTFB is all about and a few quick (obvious) safety tips for working in the warehouse, the pool of volunteers is split into smaller groups that work on stations (sorting of donations or various assembly lines for the variety boxes that will go to seniors, kids, or families). Each small group receives some additional instructions for that station, and then you're off to the races. By the end of the 3 hour session, the impact of your group's efforts is evident - either in number of boxes assembled, or by clearing/sorting all manner of donation boxes/bags. It's truly rewarding, and I hope to return many times in the future. A few notes: 1. If you donate to a canned food drive, please don't donate corn or green beans - you can't imagine how many cans of that stuff are donated. Be original and avoid those two when donating. 2. NTFB gets an enormous amount of volunteers in Nov/Dec but come Jan/Feb, the volunteers really drop off, so consider "off-months" for service efforts. read more

What a wonderful volunteering opportunity! I heard about the need for volunteers through a friend and headed there for a few hours on a Saturday. Since they have full time employees there to guide the volunteers, i think it makes for a seamless operation. Everything just went so smoothly and they have a need for every volunteer that shows up. You can volunteer alone or with your family or a group of people. You all work together for the same outcome. We did backpacks for children to take home from school. At the end of the couple hours they have us how much weight of food we packaged and how many backpacks we created. Very satisfying. I'll definitely be back and bringing folks with me! read more

Give and volunteer! That is the answer to the question of "what's going on this week or "there isn't anything to do!" Yes, there is plenty to do at the NTFB! They are always in need of donations and help sorting out those donations. When I was there, we sorted enough food to feef 37,500 hungry people! That is a drop in an ever growing bucket of people in need. They need volunteers because they have a VERY SMALL STAFF to handle thousands of pounds of food and they rely of the man/woman power of the volunteer army! It was rewarding and a great networking opportunity as well. Kids-looks great on a college application! When you are done breaking a non- existent sweat from sorting food in an air-conditioned warehouse, you will feel great and will have done a great thing for your fellow human! read more

Have to give this experience a 5 star. We were greeted with a hello and understanding of what we were about to do. They showed us a video of what volunteering does for the community and then we went to work. Separated into 2 groups. Speaking for my group we sorted crates of boxes of food. (From water, dry food, snacks, can foods, etc.) Separating them in to boxes that were the same type of food and or drinks. It was a lot of (food) but it was a team effort. The man said it usually be maybe 3 people doing the work that we did today. They can use your help if your available. I remember Tuesday to Saturday - just join on line. See you there. It was awesome. read more

I came here for a company volunteering project. These guys do really amazing work feeding hungry North Texans. They are almost entirely dependent on volunteers and donations, so they always need your help. Whether it's donating food or money, or volunteering your time, I definitely urge everyone to help out here! read more