As the City of Mesquite and Sharing Life Community Outreach launch the annual Spread the Love campaign, more and more North Texas families are struggling to afford food while the demand keeps rising.

“Between consistently high grocery prices and federal funding cuts to food banks, many of our neighbors choose between having enough food or paying their bills,” said Teresa Jackson, CEO of Mesquite-based Sharing Life. “Every child who goes to bed hungry, every family struggling to make ends meet – they are our neighbors, and they deserve better, and if we work together, we can help.”

Studies released in 2024 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Feeding America found that Texas – particularly North Texas – is among the highest-ranking areas in the nation for food insecurity. One in every four kids in Texas are affected.

The City and Sharing Life developed the Spread the Love campaign to help families feed their kids over the summer break when they don’t have access to free or reduced lunches served at school. Spread the Love provides nutritious food kids can safely make at home by themselves.

Since it started in 2016, Spread the Love has brought in thousands of pounds of food as well as thousands of dollars from sponsorships. Last year, residents, businesses and organizations donated 3,912 pounds of jars of nut and seed butters and jelly – enough to make approximately 25,536 sandwiches.

Residents and businesses are encouraged to donate jars of peanut butter and jelly during the collection campaign which runs May 27 through Labor Day, Sept. 1. The City also is calling for donations of alternative butters that are safe for kids with nut allergies, such as sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter.

The City collects food donated, and Sharing Life distributes it. Sharing Life runs a food pantry and provides other services including a clothes closet, job placement assistance and emergency financial support. Sharing Life accepts financial donations toward Spread the Love year-round at sharing.life/donate.

Spread the Love donations are being collected at four locations:

• Mesquite Municipal Center, 1515 N. Galloway Ave.
• Mesquite City Hall, 757 N. Galloway Ave.
• Main Library, 300 W. Grubb Drive
• North Branch Library, 2600 Oates Drive

To learn more, visit www.cityofmesquite.com/spreadthelove.