A study released by Feeding America in May found that North Texas is the nation’s fourth-largest area for food insecurity. More than 20 percent of those affected are children.

“As a feeding partner and hub for the North Texas Food Bank, the findings from this study are both sobering and reflective of the challenges many of our neighbors face every day,” said Teresa Jackson, CEO of Mesquite-based Sharing Life Community Outreach. “Last month alone, our Food Pantry saw 621 new households that had not received services from us before. Every child who goes to bed hungry, every family struggling to make ends meet – they are our neighbors, and they deserve better."

To help families feed their kids over the summer break, the City of Mesquite and Sharing Life have launched the annual Spread the Love campaign.

Residents are encouraged to donate jars of peanut butter and jelly during the collection campaign which runs through Labor Day, Sept. 2. 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

The Spread the Love program was developed because many children rely on free or reduced lunches during the school year but don’t have access to these programs over the summer. Spread the Love provides nutritious food kids can make at home by themselves.

Since the campaign started in 2016, Spread the Love has brought in hundreds of pounds of food as well as thousands of dollars from sponsorships. To learn more, visit www.cityofmesquite.com/spreadthelove.