A group of generous donors issued a Power Challenge to our community on North Texas Giving Day. They agreed to match, dollar-for-dollar, all donations made to Mission Central on North Texas Giving Day, up to $24,550.

We are excited to say that our community responded by not only meeting this challenge, but exceeding it! Between our online and and in-person donations on September 17, we raised $27,633.65. Adding in the Power Challenge matching donations, we raised a total of $52,183.65 on North Texas Giving Day.

For those wondering why the amount is so precise, it includes $2.65 of loose pennies, nickels, and dimes brought in by our students at the Village Library. We are so proud of the children's efforts to contribute what they can to Mission Central.

Pennies or bills, small amounts or large amounts, we are incredibly grateful for each gift given on North Texas Giving Day. With the help of each and every donor, we are empowering our neighbors in need to improve their own quality of life.

On Monday morning, Pantry Manager Mike Wright pulled into Mission Central and announced that "we're livin' the dream!"

The "dream" he's referring to is our dream of providing more fresh produce and dairy to our guests at the Village Pantry. These items provide healthier options for our guests, and are also much less expensive for Mission Central to provide than items like canned goods.

Over the past two years, we have prepared for this change by obtaining more cooler and freezer space. There has been one missing link, though, and that was a box truck big enough to load both the basic items we need for the Village Pantry, as well as the pallets of produce and dairy products.

On Friday, September 18, the last piece of the puzzle came together when Mission Central purchased a box truck. This equipment will take the load off of volunteers who have been using their personal vehicles to pick up donations, as well as make the physical workload easier as pallets can be lifted with jacks instead of each box being lifted on to and off of a truck by hand.

So, on Monday morning, our trip to the Tarrant Area Food Bank didn't just yield as many boxes of beans, rice, or pasta as one pickup truck could hold. We also brought back fresh bell peppers, zucchini, carrots, and cottage cheese. With these items, we're able to provide more healthy options for the families we serve.

The truck was partially funded by a grant from The Fort Worth Foundation. Donations are still being accepted for the balance of the truck. If you're interested in making a contribution toward the truck, please contact Paula Jernigan at paula.jernigan@missioncentraltx.org  or 817-595-0011.

Sunday, September 13 was designated by the Central Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church as CTC Serve Day. On this day, churches across the conference focused on serving the community in a way that connects to the issue of hunger.

First United Methodist Church of Hurst partnered with Mission Central for their CTC Serve project, and showed their support through their gifts and service.

In the week before the event, Mission Central hosted our monthly Mobile Food Pantry, and FUMC Hurst members were encouraged to volunteer on that day. More than 20 members were present to help share groceries with more than 350 families during the September 11 Mobile Food Pantry.

Church members also had the opportunity to pick up red grocery bags throughout the months of August and September. Each bag contained a list of Mission Central's most-needed items, and members were asked to fill the bags with the listed items. Bags were returned to church by the morning of September 13.

The next morning, more than 20 volunteers from the church gathered to sort the items and bring them back to Mission Central. These amazing volunteers worked together to process the entire 13,128 pound donation in just a few hours. (That's more than 6 tons of food!)

This food has been a blessing to Mission Central and will continue to be a blessing for many weeks ahead. Our shelves are now overflowing with peanut butter, canned soups, canned meats, juice, shelf-stable milk, and toilet paper. 

Special thanks to everyone who contributed bags to the project, and especially to the volunteers who helped sort and transport the items. More than 400 families visit the Village Pantry each month, and these groceries will ensure that these families will have plentiful, healthy foods in the days following their visit.