Now, the organization has a new home―one thoughtfully designed and customized to support its operations and enhance the experience of those it serves. Located at the new neighborhood health center serving the Las Vegas Trail area, West Aid joins JPS Health Network, Cook Children’s Health Care System, The City of Fort Worth, and LVTRise in a landmark collaboration aimed at ending the area’s long-standing status as a food and health care desert.

The more centralized location brings West Aid closer to the majority of those in its service area, which comprises seven zip codes—76107, 76108, 76109, 76114, 76116, 76126 and 76008. Each year, West Aid provides food for about 10,000 Fort Worth households. In 2024, the organization distributed goods valued at more than $1 million.

William Pherigo, MRE, has been the executive director of West Aid for 30 years. He believes integrating the food pantry into the center is a natural fit.

“Food is medicine, so it just makes sense with how important food and nutrition are to health that West Aid is located at the center,” Pherigo said. “It just completes the health and wellness circle there.”

Poor nutrition can lead to a wide range of chronic health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity, as well as fragile mental and emotional health. But when faced with a lack of convenient food sources and limited financial resources, it’s not always easy to find or afford healthy food options. In Las Vegas Trail, 32% of people live below the poverty level. For those that don’t, many still struggle to afford the basics of housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care and technology, according to West Aid.

“It's important that people know that food security can affect a lot of different people,” Pherigo said. “I think sometimes people decide that those who need help with food live on another side of town or in somebody else's neighborhood. But we see people that may just come once or twice, and that's all. They just need a little help. There are different reasons why people find themselves needing our services.”

Kenneth Janak began volunteering with West Aid last year following his retirement from Texas Christian University where he was the senior associate athletic director and chief financial officer for athletics. Twice a week, Janak picks up donations from an area grocer and delivers them to West Aid.

“I knew when I retired, I couldn't be one of those people who sit around and watch TV all day,” Janak said. “My goal is to do something for my body, mind, and soul every day. Sometimes the soul part means going out and helping others. And, by the way, I'm over there lifting these crates of food that are 40 and 50 pounds. So it's helping my body all at the same time. But to be around there for over a year now, it makes me realize how important it is that we all work together to help each other.”

Janak is most excited about the new and improved experience visitors will have as they shop the shelves.

“The new space is built specifically for us,” Janak said. “It has amazing cold storage with a big separate walk-in refrigerator and a big separate walk-in freezer. So now we can do what the grocery stores do. You step up to the refrigerator and open the glass door and pull out your milk, and the workers are stocking it from behind. That's what we're able to do now. We didn't have that kind of capacity before. I love the new space.”

The support for West Aid guests doesn’t stop with groceries. After all, what is the value of a bag full of nutritious food if you don’t know how to prepare it or have the cooking resources to do so? This is where the center’s demonstration kitchen and full-time on-site dietitian will complete the food security circle. The kitchen is designed to welcome LVT residents for cooking classes and nutrition counseling and education. Here, guests will learn how to choose and prepare healthy meals on a budget using everything from a hot plate, microwave or crock pot to a full cooking range and oven.

West Aid and the center's partners are doing more than handing out groceries. They’re ensuring that no one in Las Vegas Trail has to wonder where their next meal—or their next chance at wellness—will come from. Visit West Aid’s website to learn more about how you can help.

Families in Denton, Wise and Cooke Counties now have more access to healthy food and resources through a new partnership between

“The R.E.D Market is essentially a grocery store on wheels. It’s a refrigerated trailer that includes shelves just like a supermarket, which are stocked with items such fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy items,” said Becki Hale, assistant vice president of the Center for Community Health at Cook Children’s. “Our partnership with Tarrant Area Food Bank and H-E-B is one of the many ways we, along with Cook Children’s Health Plan, are working together to address food insecurity in our region.”

According to Cook Children’s 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment, an estimated 303,000 children (nearly one in four) in Cook Children’s eight-county service area live in households that cannot always afford nutritious foods.

“Cook Children’s partnership with Tarrant Area Food Bank and H-E-B is critical because children who don’t get enough to eat — especially during their first three years — begin life at a serious disadvantage,” said Karen Love, President of Cook Children’s Health Plan. “Children facing hunger are more likely to experience problems in school. They’re also more likely to be hospitalized and face risks of serious health conditions such as anemia and asthma.”

The R.E.D. Market vehicle will make multiple stops in a single day, connecting families to food, SNAP benefits and additional community resources to address housing, education, and employment. TAFB will work with Cook Children’s to identify specific community neighborhoods in need based on income and food insecurity screening data.

“As we continue to provide community support to relieve the effects of inflation, we are deepening our roots through TAFB North in Denton County by launching solutions that bring our services to neighbors in rural underserved communities where transportation may be lacking,” said Julie Butner, President and CEO of Tarrant Area Food Bank. “TAFB, in partnership through the generosity of Cook Children’s and H-E-B will provide emergency food boxes, nutrition education, as well as facilitate enrollment of eligible families into federal benefits programs such as SNAP and Medicaid.”

The R.E.D. Market will be deployed to various locations across Denton, Wise and Cooke Counties. You can find more information about its scheduled stops on TAFB’s website. To request the R.E.D. Market at a community event, please fill out TAFB’s request form.