What began in the spring of 2021 as an outreach allowing local teens to use the North Texas Church of Christ’s gym to practice basketball grew into The Table, a ministry that meets the needs of hundreds of families each year through its drive-thru food pantry.
“While talking to the teens one night, a comment was made about bringing food to feed families in need. The next week, we started to collect food, and soon North Texas Church of Christ, local Girl Scouts, and other groups joined in collecting food,” remembers Park Conner, volunteer with The Table. “September of 2021 was our first distribution, and we had 3 single women all in the same vehicle come for food. By September of 2022, we had served around 333 people.”
Since 2021, the ministry has continued to grow and now serves anywhere from 30 to 70 families per distribution, which occurs on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. On those days, The Table distributes meal kits made up of ingredients for 2 to 3 meals, snacks, a loaf of bread, milk, a protein, and fresh produce when it is available. During school holidays, the ministry also provides simple meals that children can prepare on their own while their parents are working.
For special occasions such as birthdays and holidays, The Table adds a festive touch by providing extra items such as Christmas Cookie Kits that include cookie mix, a baking sheet pan, and Christmas themed cookie cutters. For children’s birthdays, special Birthday Bags are filled with everything needed to bake a birthday cake to help the families celebrate their child’s birthday. These added touches bring an extra dose of joy to families by allowing them to celebrate significant events together without extra financial stress.
At the core of The Table are the many volunteers who pore over the details and serve local individuals and families each month. Their work turns compassion into action, and for Park, building relationships with those volunteers is one of his favorite parts of the ministry.
“We receive help in many ways. We have people who hang our signs out by the road, pack meal kits, shop, plan out what we will distribute each week, and so much more,” he says. “I am a teacher at our local school district’s Adult Transition program. This program helps young adult students with disabilities gain independence and purpose through job skills, and these students are the heart behind the scenes. They help with purchasing, stocking shelves, rotating products, checking expiration dates, cleaning, and other important tasks. Many of these students even volunteer over the summer and during holidays.”
With the help of dedicated volunteers, The Table reaches families who are in difficult situations. For many people, especially during the holidays, money is stretched thin, and tough decisions are made daily between paying bills, buying necessities like clothing or gas, and buying groceries. The heart behind The Table is to lighten the burden by providing nutritious food in a caring manner that goes far beyond meeting the needs at the dinner table; it also strengthens families and brings hope to the community.
“Like any action, we will never know the true impact that is made. As long as one person is positively impacted and passes that on to others, it is all worth it,” shares Park. “I do see the impact it has had on our congregation, and the bonds built in service together are strong. The impact on my students is great as well, and I see the sense of pride and purpose the work provides. So, I can see the good that is happening in the lives of our clients, but the behind-the-scenes connections, the relationships we have built with those who volunteer, support, and participate in the ministry, are truly wonderful.”
The Table is a ministry of the North Texas Church of Christ, which is located at 1290 FM 407 in Northlake. For more information on The Table and to learn more about supporting the ministry through donations or volunteering, visit www.ntxcoc.com/local-ministries/the-table or call (940) 648-2888.