Community Chest Director Judy Moore, center, accepting the 2017 Excellence in Innovation Award for Community Chest at a North Texas Food Bank regionall conference.
As Executive Director of Community Chest, Judy Moore is always trying to come up with better ways to assist the needs of the low-income population in Hopkins County. While studying a 2016 list of Community Chest clients, she noticed that most had in-town Sulphur Springs addresses. She developed an idea to offer the services of Community Chest to the outlying areas of Hopkins County to see how it was accepted. It has turned out to be quite successful in it’s initial goal, as well as garnering attention on the national level. The REACHOut began as a way to reach people who need help with rent, utilities, food, etc who might not have transportation to come to the Linda Drive location. Initial efforts were hindered by lack of cell phone service and Wifi.
Now, however, the weekly effort operates out of a “mobile facility” with a regular schedule in four corners of Hopkins County which can offer every service the Linda Drive office does. The REACHOut Mobile facility is a cargo trailer which was purchased and custom-outfitted as an intake office and food pantry. On Fridays, Judy and Jeanette Walling, office manager, travel to the assigned locations. After a few months of the program, about 40 REACHOut families are receiving services of Community Chest and North Texas Food Bank.
REACHOut Schedule: Fridays from 12pm -3pm.
Councelors travel to ReachOut sites to provide the same services offered at the main office to low income households in our community sites are as follows:
1st Friday of each month –
Arbala Community Center
On the corner of FM 1567 @ FM 2081 Arbala Texas 75433
2nd Friday of each month –
Como United Methodist Church
309 Lynch Street Como Texas 75431
3rd Friday of each month –
Peerless Assembly of God- Bunkhouse
422 FM Spur 71 peerless Texas 75482
4th Friday of each month –
Sulphur Bluff United Methodist Church
FM 71 @ FM 69 North Sulphur Bluff Texas 75481
Services include:
– Help with bills: TXU and FEC for Counties: Delta, Lamar, Franklin, Titus and Hopkins Counties. All other eletric companies Hopkins County only.
Other services for Hopkins County Only:
– Bi-weekly Food program for Hopkins County Clients.
-Eye Exams only.
-Dental Exams only.
-Rx Vouchers.
-Gas Vouchers for Dr. Appointments 50 miles or farther than Sulphur Springs.
-Water bill in Hopkins County Only.
-Natural Gas bill in Hopkins County only.
Refferals to ask about:
-In MY Closet
-Phil’s Friends
-Prayers & Squares
For more information contact the Hopkins County Community Chest and Christian Alliance, 217 Linda Drive, or call: 903-885-3452.
More about the North Texas Food Bank:
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked nonprofit hunger-relief organization and a four star Charity Navigator charity. Each day, NTFB provides access to 190,000 meals for hungry children, seniors and families through a network of more than 1,000 programs and 200 Partner Agencies.
In fiscal year 2016, NTFB provided access to some 70 million nutritious meals.* While we are making steady progress toward closing the hunger gap, much work remains to be done to reach NTFB’s 10-year goal of providing 92 million nutritious meals annually by 2025. In order to achieve this milestone, NTFB has developed a three-pillar strategy of community engagement, network expansion, and client visibility.
Today we are 21 million meals shy of our 10-year meals output goal, but with the support of the North Texas community, donors, businesses and faith communities, we are on track to provide 92 million nutritious meals to our hungry neighbors annually by 2025.
Realities of Hunger in North Texas
Some 835,000 people in NTFB’s 13-county service area are food insecure – 1 in 6 people
One in every four kids in North Texas is food insecure – almost 295,000 children
95 percent of households served by NTFB have an annual household income of $30,000 or less
In North Texas, 1 in 6 food-insecure households is home to a veteran
There is a strong correlation between hunger and health, with one in three client households affected by diabetes – and 60 percent with unpaid medical bills
Eliminating Food Insecurity in North Texas
NTFB distributed 23 million pounds of fresh produce to those in need last year, in addition to 7 million pounds of meats and other high protein foods
NTFB distributed weekend backpacks to 12,000 chronically hungry elementary students at more than 380 schools through the Food 4 Kids program
NTFB is active in the community, teaching low-income families how to prepare nutritious meals on a budget through Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters program
Time, Talent and Treasure Make a Difference
When you donate $1 to NTFB you are helping to provide access to 3 meals for those in need
94 percent of every dollar donated goes directly toward fulfilling our mission
Last year, nearly 1,000 community organizations and businesses hosted canned food drives, collecting more than 500,000 pounds of non-perishable foods
An estimated 32,000 volunteers – at our Southwest Dallas warehouse, and at community events like the State Fair of Texas – gave their time, talent and treasure to the NTFB last year
* About 39 percent of meals are provided through the federal government’s SNAP program
