Our First Year in Dallas

Brighter Bites in Dallas celebrates its one year anniversary this month. Time flies when you’re having fun distributing fresh produce and providing nutrition education. Here is a look back at some key milestones in Year One:

•  Alicia Farhat and Meredith Spence established Brighter Bites in Dallas in May 2014 with three inaugural sites.

•  Brighter Bites developed key relationships in Dallas, partnering with the North Texas Food Bank, Dallas ISD, and Uplift Education.

•  Jacqueline Noyola and Kristin Michalewicz joined the team in the fall of 2014 to help coordinate program expansion.

•  Brighter Bites tripled in size in the 2014 – 2015 school year, providing produce to nine sites across the Dallas area.

•  We developed two new hit recipes that received overwhelmingly positive response from the kids: Do the Hula Salsa with pineapple, radishes, and bell peppers and the Super Duper Sweet Potato Dip.

•  We distributed 20,000 pounds of produce and served 800 families at the Get Kidz Fit Fest in April 2015.

•  During our first year, Brighter Bites in Dallas distributed an additional 1.1 million pounds of produce to students and their families.

The Brighter Bites staff in Dallas has enjoyed getting to know the kids and their families at produce distributions, working with parents and staff on school committees, and speaking about our jobs at career days. These relationships are important to the success of the Brighter Bites program and make a positive impact on our communities. Our first year in Dallas has been a huge success and we look forward to kicking off Year Two!