$500K from feds will help Fort Worth nonprofit expand its mission of healthy food for all
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey announced Tuesday that he has secured $500,000 in federal funding for the Taste Project to combat food insecurity.
The initiative was one of the community project funding requests made by Veasey, a Democrat from Fort Worth. The money will go toward a new Taste Project in Arlington.
“This check will allow the Taste Project to be a mainstay here, so it can continue to serve the community,” said Veasey. “This place is really special.”
Jeff Williams started the Taste Project in 2017. In a Star-Telegram profile in December, Williams said the project’s mission is “to feed, educate, and serve our community so they may ‘taste and see the Lord is good.’ We believe everyone should have access to healthy and nutritious food. Our vision is to see our community become the response and the solution to the challenges our community faces as it relates to hunger.”
Taste Community Restaurant, at 1200 S. Main St., offers quality meals made from fresh ingredients without set prices. Guests pay what they can afford, what they would typically pay or a bit more to support the cause.
The second location will open soon at 200 N. Cooper St. in Arlington. The 3,000-foot space includes a restaurant, a production kitchen and culinary classroom.
Veasey previously spent a day working at Taste Project through his “Marc Means Business” initiative, where he spends a day working at businesses in the district to better understand the challenges Texans face daily.
“This very unique concept of pay what you can helps feed people who are unhoused in the community, and I got to see the really good work they were doing,” said Veasey.
On Monday, Veasey visited Renaissance Heights in southeast Fort Worth to announce $850,000 for the creation of Happy Park. Earlier Tuesday, he announced $850,000 to add space for youth activities at the Forest Hill Senior Center.
This story was originally published August 6, 2024 at 3:39 PM.
