By Elizabeth Lenart | Contributor
The Storehouse of Collin County is celebrating the addition of a new sprinter van as well as new operational assets, including tents, carts, and cones for utilization during food distribution – all provided as part of a fiscal year 2023 Capacity Building Grant from the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB).
“The North Texas Food Bank has been our faithful partner for 15 years, helping us to meet a 450% increase in the demand for food over the last two years,” said Candace Winslow, CEO, The Storehouse of Collin County. “Serving around 5,000 households monthly with 80+ pounds of food is only possible because of our ongoing partnership. This Capacity Building Grant has allowed us to drive incremental growth regarding pounds of food as we enhance our efficiency as well as safety procedures for neighbors, volunteers, and staff.”
Wrapped and ready to roll, the new van will allow for an increase in retail food program pickups. Another benefit of the van is its use in off-site food distribution activities such as the nonprofit’s monthly delivery and on-location service of Evergreen Arbor Hills Senior Living facility. Operational assets also provided through the grant included six new tents, 30 traffic cones, eight carts, 10 stanchions, 12 vinyl rolling bins, three portable radios, and six plastic folding tables.
During the same fiscal year, The Storehouse also received a NTFB Hope for Tomorrow Grant, supporting The Academy education program and its expansion of neighbor language, job, and life skills training.
“The Academy education program first began in 2022 with 40 neighbors enrolled in our ESL program, and this semester, we are proud to welcome 198 neighbors into the program,” said Ligia Urrego, director, The Academy. “It is hard to believe that a program that started only two years ago has been able to accommodate such tremendous growth! We are grateful for NTFB’s support of The Academy through the Hope for Tomorrow Grant, which has allowed us to lean into this growth and holistically serve our neighbors.”
The North Texas Food Bank continues to be a critical part of our growth journey through ongoing support and pivotal grants as we adapt and expand to meet the needs of our community through our integrated programs.
Candace Winslow, CEO, The Storehouse of Collin County
Through The Academy, The Storehouse fosters relationships with neighbors and connects them with education and services that lead to long-term change. In addition to the ESL classes, The Academy offers education in health management, computers, automotive certification, and more.
“The NTFB continues to be a critical part of our growth journey through ongoing support and pivotal grants as we adapt and expand to meet the needs of our community through our integrated programs,” continued Winslow. “We look forward to our continued partnership for years to come as we work to provide nutritious food to our neighbors with the highest levels of love, care, and compassion.”
The Storehouse of Collin County, a nonprofit founded in 2009, provides short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin, Dallas, and Denton Counties through four programs. Seven Loaves Food Pantry serves 5,000 families each month; Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet provides clothing at no cost; Project Hope Neighbor Care offers case management and resource referral; and The Academy Education Program provides free and reduced-cost classes to assist with language, job, or life skills development. During its previous fiscal year, The Storehouse served 146,922 unduplicated neighbors with the support of more than 2,000 volunteers. In August 2023, the North Texas Food Bank honored The Storehouse with the Hope for Tomorrow Award. Visit www.thestorehousecc.org. The Storehouse EIN: 27-1883333