The Gold Standard in Fighting Hunger

Julie Butner shares how Tarrant Area Food Bank in Fort Worth, Texas has been empowering their local community to alleviate hunger for over 40 years, and their special relationship with military and Veteran families in the area. They are making a difference in the lives of those in need, while continuing to develop innovative practices to expand their network of support.    This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Mountain Post Spouses’ Club. To learn more, visit https://www.mpsc.us/.    Audio mixing by Concentus Media, Inc., Temple, Texas.    Show Notes:  Resources:  https://tafb.org/    https://tafb.org/hunger-heroes/    https://www.feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank  Type in your zip code to locate the nearest Food Bank, and then click “Find Food” for a list of food pantries and partner organizations.    https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program    Bio:  Julie Butner is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tarrant Area Food Bank, where she provides executive leadership, fund development, board management, and financial management for one of the largest food acquisition and distribution organizations in the U.S. Julie leads efforts to fulfill Tarrant Area Food Bank’s mission to “empower communities to eliminate hunger and improve health.” Through the support of 125 employees and a $130m budget, this year TAFB distributed more than 60 million nutritious meals, over 1,000,000 meals weekly, to the TAFB service area, which includes Tarrant county and 12 surrounding counties, Bosque, Cooke, Denton, Erath, Hamilton, Hill, Hood, Johnson, Palo Pinto, Parker, Somervell and Wise.   Prior to joining the Tarrant Area Food Bank in January 2020, Julie spent most of her career working in the healthcare and hospitality industries, specifically focused on food and nutrition, and has held a variety of leadership positions in operations and business development. Julie also served as a Captain in the United States Army during Operation Desert Storm.   Julie graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Coordinated Dietetics and holds a Master of Science in Food Systems Management with an emphasis in Health Promotion from the University of Oklahoma. Julie is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian.   Julie has served the community through leadership roles in many organizations including Rotary Club, Executive Women’s Day PGA Tour Charles Schwab Challenge, Texas   Christian University, Fort Worth Circle Theatre, Leadership Fort Worth, Delta Gamma Fraternity, Leukemia Society, The Cowtown Marathon, and Fort Worth Sister Cities.   In her spare time, Julie enjoys tennis, running, yoga, golf, and travel with her husband of 30 years, Greg, and their two Labradors.