Hope is on the menu.
A major effort to combat child hunger is taking root in North Texas, as the California-based nonprofit Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) recently began construction on a new distribution center in Prosper, approximately 25 miles north of Dallas. The organization expects the facility to become a vital hub for delivering an estimated 100 million meals to underprivileged children in the region and surrounding states.
Set to open in 2026, the 85,000-square-foot complex will feature a variety of components, including a 10,000-square-foot area for volunteers, a 25,000-square-foot interactive exhibit focused on poverty, a 30,000-square-foot community and administrative center, and 20,000 square feet allocated for processing and storage. The initial $7 million phase of the project has already been fully financed, though funding is still being sought for subsequent stages.
CHF reports that around 14% of people in North Texas live below the poverty line, and roughly one in five children are affected. Since its establishment in 1991, CHF has partnered with churches and ministries to distribute more than 750 million meals and $2 billion worth of goods to over 380 million children globally.
Michael Richards, CHF’s Senior Vice President, highlighted the impact the Dallas–Fort Worth area has had since operations expanded there in 2016. Through its Rethink Mercy initiative, CHF equips local churches with training and resources to help address both material and spiritual poverty. The program includes a video-based curriculum that helps churches teach compassion-driven outreach grounded in faith.
Even as the pandemic brought significant operational challenges, CHF experienced remarkable growth, with revenues increasing from $49 million in 2016 to $134 million in 2022. The new Prosper center supports CHF’s long-term vision of owning its facilities outright and creating a robust national distribution network. The organization views North Texas as a strategic location due to its proximity to major highways and the Dallas–Fort Worth International Airport, making it ideal for reaching both domestic and international communities in need.