Barbara Brown’s initial reaction to Mission Central’s closure in April could be summed up in three words: “Oh my goodness.”
Brown has lived in the Mid-Cities area for more than 40 years. She spent the last 14 of them volunteering at the North East Emergency Distribution nonprofit’s Hurst location, just two miles away from Mission Central. The faith-based organization helped, on average, 650 families a month through its food pantries, after-school tutoring, health services, legal assistance and adult education classes.
Brown works in client intake for N.E.E.D and is one of the first people residents talk to for assistance. N.E.E.D has received an increase in calls from people seeking help since Mission Central’s closure, she said.
“We’ve also had some of our fairly regular (clients) say, ‘Wow, Mission Central has closed now.’ So, there has been some inquiry about that,” Brown said. “You can tell when the new folks show up, and they haven’t quite got the drill down yet.”
N.E.E.D is just one of the several faith-based nonprofits in the Mid-Cities trying to fill the service gaps since Mission Central announced it was permanently closing its doors after 28 years. Mission Central’s plight underscores a challenge nonprofit leaders say they are already facing: trying to meet an increase in food assistance needs with waning resources.
Texas leads the nation in food insecurity, with over 300,000 people in Tarrant County in need of accessible, nutritious food, according to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap study.
The report, released in May, is a biannual study and uses data from 2022.
Tarrant County families spend anywhere from $745-$1,200 a month on food, according to 2022 data from United for ALICE, a national organization that looks at financial hardships among people who earn just above the federal poverty line but less than what it costs to make ends meet.
“However, one car breakdown, one medical emergency or visits to the ER could negatively impact them to the point that they eventually fall below that threshold,” said Chris Stolarzyk with United Way of Tarrant County.
The numbers come at a time when Tarrant Area Food Bank is experiencing a food deficit, warning people it may not have enough supplies to feed families in need over the summer. 6Stones, a faith-based nonprofit, is temporarily closing while moving to its new location, which is expected to open in September.
“It is kind of a perfect storm here,” said Richard Adams, president of N.E.E.D., “all coming together at a unique time.”
Since Mission Central’s closure, N.E.E.D and United Way of Tarrant County pooled funds to continue Mission Central’s mobile food pantry. The food distribution now happens on Fridays at First United Methodist Church of Hurst.
The church also decided to continue Mission Central’s tutoring program through the end of the summer.
Teresa Grady, chief operating officer for 6Stones, said the organization plans to donate its refrigerated and frozen food to N.E.E.D while the nonprofit transitions into its new location.
“We don't want any of those people to fall through the cracks,” Grady said.
Byran Downer, CEO of Community Enrichment Center, said the nonprofit reached out to Tarrant Area Food Bank, asking to pick up donations from grocery stores that Mission Central partnered with when it was open.
The center is a faith-based nonprofit in North Richland Hills, offering financial coaching, food assistance and other services to families in need. Food insecurity is a “symptom of a greater problem,” Downer said, referring to the rising cost of living and lack of wage growth.
“Everything's putting pressure on the middle class family that makes up the neighborhoods that surround us,” Downer said. “Most of Tarrant County probably fits in that demographic and they're just feeling the pinch from that.”
Hurst City Council member Jon McKenzie, who sits on the board for N.E.E.D and 6Stones, said faith-based nonprofits are also facing another challenge: a potential shortage of volunteers throughout the summer.
“Summer is long, and it's hot, and it's busy. And, and so as those events go on, I think that will be one of the main challenges, keeping a steady supply of volunteers,” McKenzie said.
On top of that, Adam and Brown said they are actively seeking volunteers who speak another language in addition to English as a way to connect with the growing immigrant community in Tarrant County.
Rev. Matt Ybanez, neighboring pastor for United Methodist Church of Hurst, said Mission Central’s closure serves as an “alarm call” to the community to pay attention to what’s happening to nonprofits in terms of sustainability.
“We are compelled to feed people who are hungry,” Ybarra said. “We also recognize that perhaps, that work is not doing anything to transform those people's lives in such a way that they're no longer dependent upon that food.”
Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org or @marissaygreene.At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.