McKinney leaders and organization representatives partnered to form One Heart McKinney, a communitywide collaboration that streamlines resources to those in need. One Heart McKinney focuses on delivering support in five core areas to maximize well-being in daily life: food and hygiene; physical, mental, and spiritual health; housing; economic stability; and education.
One Heart McKinney’s shared mission is to coordinate entire community resources to respond to and recover from community crises. The reach includes individuals, families, businesses, faith-based organizations and places of worship, nonprofit groups, schools and academia, all levels of government, and the media.
Organizers indicate the goal in executing this mission is to have one clearinghouse through which people in need share their requests, either with One Heart McKinney partners or interacting with One Heart McKinney directly. Then, One Heart McKinney members make referrals to organizations that can help address those needs.
“We want the referrals to be both efficient and effective,” says Scott Elliott, One Heart McKinney executive director. “Efficient means creating those referrals as quickly as we can. Effective means we have a good match between our client's needs and the programs offered by the receiving organizations.”
One Heart McKinney was formed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, thousands of McKinney residents immediately lost their jobs due to the federal shutdown. A group of 40-plus people, which included people from faith congregations, local businesses, the City of McKinney, McKinney ISD, first responders, Mayor and Maylee Fuller, and many nonprofits, met to discuss how to best help those in immediate need. A structure was established to raise $200,000 in three weeks, and to have an online request process where social services organizations could request help to fund the large increase in services needed due to the pandemic.
Rick’s Chophouse owner Rick Wells contributed the website OneHeartMcKinney.com, and the organization officially had a name.
The group met monthly for a year to facilitate coordination. Group members also decided fundraising and the distribution structure should stay in place for when the next dire emergency arose.
A goal was set to raise funding to cover One Heart McKinney’s needs without interrupting existing fundraising efforts to support organizations that provide services to those in need.
The organization uses a software platform from UniteUs for network intake and referral management. UniteUS has clients in 49 states and was instrumental in establishing a pilot program for One Heart McKinney in 2022.
“Our pilot program involves almost 20 organizations that came alongside us as we're building the referral capability for One Heart McKinney,” says Scott. “I cannot thank them enough for helping launch a brand-new effort, and work through the inevitable challenges that have arisen rolling out a new software platform.”
One Heart McKinney doesn't provide direct client services, rather the organization links people in need with the organizations within McKinney that already meet those needs. Local organizations partnering with One Heart McKinney include 3E United, Alliance of Elite Youth Leadership, A Motivating Love, Christ Fellowship, City of McKinney, Community Food Pantry of McKinney, Family Health Center on Virginia, First McKinney Baptist Church, Hope Clinic, Hope Women’s Center, Hugs Cafe, Little Free Pantry, Love Life Foundation, Grace to Change, Lift R&R, Habitat for Humanity of Collin County, TLT, and McKinney ISD.
Scott says the goal in 2023 is to partner with 100 organizations.
“One great thing about our city is how many folks genuinely care for their friends and neighbors in need. This is demonstrated by the sheer number of nonprofit organizations, ministries of local faith congregations, and businesses that support social service providers,” he adds. “Our task at One Heart McKinney is to marry the capabilities and reach of those groups to capabilities from the city, first responders, McKinney ISD, and the business community, maximizing the well-being of our neighbors in need.”
Four ways that community members can get involved with One Heart McKinney:
- Contact a partner organization listed on the One Heart McKinney website, click “I Need Help," or call 214.799.1147.
- Help fund one of the group's partners.
- One Heart McKinney organizers volunteered to be a funding aggregator for food pantries within McKinney as part of quarterly community food collections starting in 2023. Click the “I Want to Help” button on the home page of the website and choose ‘Feeding McKinney’ in the dropdown box labeled ‘My donation is for.'
- Contribute to the group's operational costs. Click the “I Want to Help” button on the home page and choose ‘Unrestricted’ in the dropdown box labeled ‘My donation is for.'
“One great thing about our city is how many folks genuinely care for their friends and neighbors in need.”