Moviegoers heading to LOOK Dine-In Cinema in Bedford can drop off canned goods in the theater lobby as part of an early holiday food drive benefiting families in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Birdville ISD communities.

The theater at 2204 Airport Freeway is partnering with Christmas Providers, a volunteer-run nonprofit that has served families in those school districts for more than 35 years.

A donation box and Christmas Providers sign are set up inside the lobby, according to a company press release reported by Southlake Style on Wednesday, July 29.

Organizers are collecting peanut butter, jelly, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned soup, and canned fruits and vegetables. They ask donors to avoid items in glass jars.

The drive comes as food insecurity across North Texas has spiked. A Feeding America study released Tuesday, July 28, found food insecurity in the region surged 35% from 2023 to 2024, outpacing 10% population growth, according to the Fort Worth Report.

Nearly 1.4 million North Texans experienced limited or uncertain food access in 2024, including more than 506,000 children.

Julie Butner, CEO and president of Tarrant Area Food Bank, told the Fort Worth Report on July 28 that the charitable food system cannot "offset what the federal government does … to help feed people who are living paycheck to paycheck."

More than 450,000 Texans have exited the federal SNAP program since changes enacted by The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, increasing demand on local food banks and nonprofits.

Christmas Providers operates an adopt-a-family program in which volunteer "Providers" are matched with a family in need and personally deliver Christmas presents and food.

The organization is entirely volunteer-run and serves families across Hurst, Euless, Bedford, and the Birdville ISD area.

The Bedford LOOK location features 11 screens and a full-service dine-in experience. Its position along Highway 183 makes it accessible to residents of Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, and surrounding communities.

No end date for the food drive has been announced. Residents can visit christmasproviders.org for updates on the collection and the nonprofit's holiday programs.

Upcoming community dates:

• North Texas Giving Day — Friday, September 18: Christmas Providers participates annually at northtexasgivingday.org
• LOOK Dine-In Cinema food drive — ongoing at 2204 Airport Freeway, Suite 450, Bedford