Celebrity servers are helping Taste Community Restaurant serve soul food in Tarrant County this month, raising awareness of the power consumers have to end hunger in their community.

TCU’s women’s basketball team will serve on Sept. 13 and Mayor Betsy Price will volunteer on Sept. 28, according to Julie Williams, the secretary of the Taste Project.

The menu, absent of price tags, breaks financial boundaries by implementing a pay-what-you-can policy. People pay what they can afford for a fresh, healthy meal cooked with local, seasonal ingredients.

Williams said the project has served nearly 50,000 people through this unique payment model.

“Hunger is larger than most people know, ” Williams said.

According to Williams, 90% of Tarrant County’s hungry population are not homeless and 36% do not qualify for government programs.

Taste Project’s eatery is the first venture to help feed, educate and serve Tarrant County’s food-insecure population, which comprises almost 17% of the overall community.

Food insecurity is defined as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food,” according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

The Taste Project joined 50 other nonprofit restaurants across the nation for National Everybody Easts Week from Aug. 25-31 “to help consumers understand the power they have in ending hunger in their community,” according to a press release.

“This is just one of the great events the Taste Project has initiated to address the struggles of those experiencing food insecurity, and their efforts are always community-driven,” Ann Zadeh, Fort Worth’s District 9 representative said.

Williams said community engagement is the foundation of the city council’s work and a key component for Taste Project, and it ensures long-term sustainability.

“These efforts allow others to participate and be a part of the solution,” said Zadeh. “We are always happy to support and partner with individuals and organizations such as the Taste Project to overcome challenges in our community.”

Additional information about Hunger Action Month and the other guest servers can be found here.