On March 27, more than 50 people gathered at the Coat of Many Colors, as we snipped the ribbon to celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of the store.

In the past few months, construction crews added 1,800 square feet to the store, creating a larger area for both shopping and sorting/pricing merchandise.  More than 80 volunteers spent over 3,000 hours to keep the store running smoothly during the project, as well as installing new fixtures and stocking the new areas.

The Coat of Many Colors Resale Shop is located at 625 Harwood Road in Bedford. Every dollar spent at the store goes to support the programs of Mission Central.  Last year, the Coat of Many Colors provided more than 50% of Mission Central's total revenue.

What would you do if you didn't have a car and lived in Hurst, Euless or Bedford? How would you get to work if it was not within walking or cycling distance?

This is an issue many of Mission Central's guests face on a daily basis. With no local public transportation, options for finding employment can be limited for those without a car.

That's where HEB Transit comes in.  HEB Transit works closely with Catholic Charities to provide a ride to work for those in the mid-cities area. Employees who live in Hurst, Euless, or Bedford with no other means of transportation can arrange for a ride to and from work in one of those cities for just $2 each way.  Users of the the HEB Transit service may also get a ride to the TRE station if they need to go to work in Fort Worth or Dallas.

Riders can request a transit pass each month from one of several local agencies, including Mission Central.  During HEB Transit's last fiscal year, the organization provided 2,072 rides to our guests, the largest ridership of all of the participating agencies.  

We recently heard from a guest who began using the service last fall. Because she had an affordable option to get to and from work these past few months, she was able to save up enough money to purchase a car of her own.  This is a true success toward our mission of empowering people in need to improve their own quality of life.  

At Mission Central's March board meeting, we welcomed five new directors to the organization.

Stan Cramb, Mike Gandy, Kevin Henson, Sue Ratliff, and Karen Wilkinson joined our 2014 class of directors. They bring a broad base of experience to our organization including expertise in accounting, law, banking, marketing, business management and non-profit management.

Mission Central board members serve three-year terms that are staggered so that a few members rotate off the board each year.  Board members can serve up to two terms. We currently have 16 volunteers who help guide the work of Mission Central through service on the board of directors. Many of these volunteers are also active in various programs including the Village Food Pantry, Coat of Many Colors, Mobile Food Pantry, and the Village Library.