North Texas Food Bank, UNT Dallas, Tom Thumb / Albertsons, and UNIQLO Partner for Thanksgiving Food Distribution
Event to provide holiday meals for 500 families amid rising food insecurity and government shutdown impacts
Dallas, TX, Nov. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), in partnership with the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas), Tom Thumb / Albertsons, and UNIQLO, will host a Thanksgiving food distribution for families in need on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 9 a.m. to noon (or while supplies last) on the UNT Dallas campus at 7300 University Hills Blvd.
The drive-through event, open to the public, will serve approximately 500 families, each receiving a turkey and about 60 pounds of nutritious food to help celebrate the holiday season. Additionally, global clothing retailer UNIQLO will provide its neighbors with HEATCH thermal clothing.
“With the government shutdown affecting paychecks and benefits for many families, this Thanksgiving event comes at a crucial time,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “Tom Thumb / Albertsons and UNT Dallas continue to be incredible partners in helping us make sure every neighbor has food on the table. Their ongoing support allows us to respond quickly when our community needs us most.”
Food insecurity continues to affect thousands across North Texas. According to Feeding America, Texas has the highest number of food-insecure individuals in the country, and the Dallas-Fort Worth area ranks third among major U.S. metros. Within NTFB’s 12-county service area, nearly 744,000 people, including 250,000 children, face hunger, with more than 60% living in Dallas County.
UNT Dallas: A Hub for Community Support
UNT Dallas has partnered with NTFB since 2020, hosting monthly mobile food distributions on campus that have provided more than 140,000 pounds of food to 1,500 families so far this year. Students, faculty, and staff regularly volunteer to support these events. The university also operates the Trailblazers Care Pantry, offering groceries, hygiene products, and a Career Closet to help students prepare for internships and job interviews.
“The partnership between UNT Dallas and NTFB reflects our shared mission to strengthen communities,” said Dr. Warren von Eschenbach, President of UNT Dallas. “We’re proud to support our students, employees, and neighbors in Southern Dallas, especially during times of uncertainty.”
A Legacy of Partnership
Albertsons and Tom Thumb have supported NTFB for over 40 years through food donations, financial contributions, and volunteer efforts. Through their Recipe for Change initiative, they provide millions of pounds of food each year to local food banks, including nearly 2.5 million pounds donated to NTFB last year. In August, NTFB received a $3 million multi-year grant from the Albertsons and Tom Thumb Foundation to advance the food bank’s Fulfilling Futures strategic plan.
Christy Lara, Director of Public Relations for Tom Thumb / Albertsons, added, “We recognize that the holidays can be financially stressful for many families, especially now. Our partnership with NTFB and UNT Dallas reflects our commitment to supporting our neighbors and helping break the cycle of hunger.”
Additional Support from UNIQLO and Feeding America
At the Thanksgiving event, UNIQLO volunteers will distribute HEATTECH thermal clothing as part of the company’s Heart of LifeWear initiative. Through its partnership with Feeding America, UNIQLO will help provide 2 million meals nationwide and donate 50,000 HEATTECH units to individuals experiencing homelessness or food insecurity in the U.S.
“The holidays are a time to gather and share comfort,” said Jean Shein, Global Director of Sustainability at UNIQLO. “We’re honored to work with Feeding America and the North Texas Food Bank to help ensure people have what they need to stay warm and nourished.”
How to Participate
No registration is required to attend the UNT Dallas distribution, but participants must arrive in a vehicle. Food will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. While no ID is required, families will be asked to provide their household size and zip code.
In addition to this event, NTFB has purchased and distributed about 15,000 turkeys through its network of 500 partner food pantries and organizations this holiday season. Neighbors seeking food assistance can visit https://ntfb.org/our-programs/get-food-assistance/find-a-food-pantry/ to find a food pantry nearby that provides food and often other services, or they can find mobile food distributions across North Texas. Neighbors can also contact the North Texas Food Bank to learn about Senior Programs and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
About the North Texas Food Bank
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a leading nonprofit organization that fights hunger and provides children, seniors and families in North Texas access to nutritious food. For over 40 years, we have been at the forefront of hunger relief, committed to ensuring that no one in our community lacks access to healthy food. Our extensive network of 500 food pantries and organizations, volunteers, and donors enables us to deliver more than 100 million nutritious meals annually to those in need. Beyond just addressing hunger, we focus on nourishing lives by offering nutrition education, investing in our network partners, innovating solutions to eliminate hunger and advocating for policies that tackle the root causes of food insecurity.
Our dedication to excellence is reflected in our 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, highlighting our strong governance, integrity, and financial stability. As a proud member of Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief network, we are committed to ensuring everyone in North Texas has the nourishment needed to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. For more information, visit www.ntfb.org or connect with us on social media @NorthTexasFoodBank.
About UNT Dallas
The newest member of the UNT System, the University of North Texas at Dallas (UNT Dallas) is the city's only public four-year university. Located in southern Dallas and serving more than 3,800 students, UNT Dallas offers students a world-class, innovative education focused on career readiness and socioeconomic mobility. UNT Dallas is passionately committed to developing, nurturing and empowering the next generation of servant leaders in North Texas. For more information about the University of North Texas at Dallas, visit untdallas.edu.
About Albertsons/ Tom Thumb
Tom Thumb and Albertsons stores in North Texas are owned and operated by Albertsons Companies, a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. The company operates stores across 35 states and the District of Columbia under multiple banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Market Street, and United Supermarkets. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2024, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $435 million in food and financial support to ensure those living in our communities have enough to eat and to provide disaster relief.
About UNIQLO and Fast Retailing
UNIQLO is a brand of Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese retail holding company with global headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. UNIQLO is the largest of eight brands in the Fast Retailing Group, the others being GU, Theory, PLST, Comptoir des Cotonniers, Princesse tam.tam, J Brand and Helmut Lang. With global sales of approximately 3.1 trillion yen for the 2024 fiscal year ending August 31, 2024 (US $21.42 billion, calculated in yen using the end of August 2024 rate of $1 = 144.9 yen), Fast Retailing is one of the world’s largest apparel retail companies, and UNIQLO is Japan’s leading specialty retailer.
UNIQLO continues to open large-scale stores in some of the world's most important cities and locations, as part of its ongoing efforts to solidify its status as a global brand. Today the company has a total of more than 2,500 UNIQLO stores across the world, including Japan, Asia, Europe and North America. The total number of stores across Fast Retailing's brands is now over 3,600.
With a corporate statement committed to changing clothes, changing conventional wisdom and change the world, Fast Retailing is dedicated to creating great clothing with new and unique value to enrich the lives of people everywhere. For more information about UNIQLO and Fast Retailing, please visit www.uniqlo.com and www.fastretailing.com.
Attachments
Jeff Smith North Texas Food Bank 469-891-7022 jeff.smith@ntfb.org Becky Mayad UNT Dallas 214-697-7745 becky@mayadpr.com
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