Hundreds of cars lined up around the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center Wednesday to receive boxes of food, fruits, vegetables and milk. The Mark Cuban Foundation, Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, Heroes Foundation and North Texas Food Bank have been working together since May 2020 to distribute food in North Texas.
Since beginning the Center Table partnership, the organizations have distributed 240,000 pounds of food.
"It's going to be a blessing," one woman said as she waited in line. "It's going to be a total blessing. We appreciate it."
"Very much, it's great to have Mark Cuban looking out for the community," a man in the car behind her said. "I'm glad he's doing this."
Police were directing traffic for several blocks around the center. Organizers expected more than 700 cars to pass through.
"It's heartbreaking," says Trina Terrell-Andrews, the chief executive of the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center. "Especially after the winter storm, which has now impacted what we've already been dealing with for the past year."
The organizations say they distributed 1,100 turkeys at Thanksgiving and 900 prepared meals last Thanksgiving and Christmas. They say 200 families also received food and household items after the Arlington tornado in November.
Terrell-Andrews says even as more people get vaccinated, the need is increasing as a result of last month's snow storm.
"Now, we're coming up on spring break," Terrell-Andrews says. "We're making preparations now to try to accommodate families who still might not be in their homes, or now they've got their kids who will be home with them, and they still won't have food or other resources."
Details are available here. Donations to the North Texas Food Bank can be made here, and a schedule of upcoming mobile pantries is available here.