The East Texas Food Bank will open the Texarkana Resource Center in the winter of 2023-2024.

The former convenience store at 3019 S. Lake Dr. is located southwest of downtown Texarkana in a neighborhood with few grocery options.

The Texarkana Resource Center will be in a neighborhood where many residents live in poverty. The healthy food pantry will distribute food five days a week, serving approximately 160 client households per day through a client-choice distribution model. This enables the individual to select items they want instead of a box filled with groceries they might not use.

ETFB estimates the Texarkana Resource Center will serve 840,000 meals a year. The pantry will complement other area partners we already work with in Bowie County and increase access to food assistance.

The recent study Map the Meal Gap, conducted by the national food bank network Feeding America, revealed that nearly 16% of Bowie County residents, including 25% of children are food-insecure and at risk of hunger.

Other programs that will be offered at the Texarkana Resource Center:

• Benefits Assistance Program– helps clients apply for SNAP and other social service benefits, including Medicaid, Texas Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Medicare Savings Program, and Healthy Texas Women.
• Access to additional wrap-around services– such as Texas Workforce Commission, WIC, Greater East Texas Community Action Program, health screenings, and other services provided through collaboration with local community organizations and healthcare partnerships with which ETFB works at other locations.
• Host site for the ETFB Agency Institute– provides training, resources and support to partner hunger relief agencies in various aspects of nonprofit management and effectiveness.