The Storehouse Community Center looks different to each neighbor. The Storehouse, founded in 2009, provides short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin, Dallas, and Denton counties, and it does so in a myriad of interconnected ways. For some, The Storehouse is a source of food. For others, an opportunity to learn important skills. But, regardless of the need, The Storehouse’s goal is to meet neighbors where they are and walk alongside them with the resources, support, and opportunities they need to thrive.
A two-campus nonprofit with locations in Plano and Carrollton, The Storehouse operates four integrated programs—the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, Project Hope Neighbor Care, and The Academy Education Program—which all work together to provide pathways toward transformation. Seven Loaves Food Pantry serves 4,800 families each month; Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet provides an average of 8,000 garments of clothing each month 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, and life skills development. Additionally, The Academy connects neighbors with stable, high-quality employment, empowering them on their journeys to transformation. As needs are identified, team members help connect individuals to additional resources for more holistic support, so that each neighbor is supported on their journey.
This organization began when Sharon Hasley, wife of St. Andrew Methodist Church’s late senior and founding pastor, Robert Hasley, witnessed the effects of severe poverty in a local grocery store.
She researched food insecurity in North Texas and soon had a providential conversation with the late North Texas Food Bank CEO Jan Pruitt, who was looking for additional food distribution points. A few months later, The Storehouse was founded as a separate 501(c)(3) charity with one program: the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, which served a single family on opening day, May 14, 2009. From these humble beginnings, The Storehouse’s mission to feed, clothe, and care for neighbors as one community began. Today, the nonprofit’s four integrated programs comprise The Storehouse Community Center, with a mission to support neighbors on their journeys from food insecurity to stable, high-quality employment.
“For most neighbors, our food pantry is the first point of entry to The Storehouse, helping them meet basic needs while connecting them with vital resources to empower them on their journeys,” said Candace Winslow, CEO of The Storehouse Community Center. “Our vision is to transform the lives of 20 percent of the neighbors we serve. Since launching job partnerships in May 2023, we’ve already connected more than 90 neighbors with living-wage jobs!”
The Storehouse Community Center serves 166,000 unduplicated neighbors annually with the support of more than 2,000 volunteers and is fully funded by individuals, corporations, churches, and foundations. In August 2023, the North Texas Food Bank honored The Storehouse with the Hope for Tomorrow Award, and in September 2023, The Storehouse was named a Dallas Morning News charity.
“We depend on the generosity of our amazing volunteers and donors to feed, clothe, and care for our neighbors,” added Winslow. “Please join us on our mission to serve and empower others.”
To join The Storehouse and serve your community, visit thestorehousecc.org.