In the interest of better serving needy county residents, food pantries at several area churches were consolidated in November 1989, and the Texas County Food Pantry was born.
This week, the charitable organization will celebrate its 25th year with an event from 2 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at its facility on Highway 17 just east of U.S. 63 in Houston.
Executive director Bennie Cook said the non-profit food pantry’s mission is “to respond to the legitimate needs of the people who request assistance for the basic human needs of food, clothing, healthcare and shelter.”
Tending to that mission are six paid employees, four workers compensated through the federal government’s “Experience Works” program and dozens of volunteers. The result is providing qualified applicants money for rent or utility bills, assistance obtaining prescription drugs, free clothing and food.
Cook, who took the position as director in March 2012, said the pantry spent about $112,000 in 2014 to provide food to more than 15,000 individuals and other assistance to more than 700 people.
“And that doesn’t include diapers, hygiene items, clothing and all the other things,” he said. “On an average day, three or more people come in here for those kinds of things.”
Cook said much of the pantry’s assistance expenditure goes toward utility bills.
“We keep the utility companies in business,” he said.
Operation of the food pantry is overseen by a nine-member board of directors made up of residents of many parts of Texas County. The current board president is resident Guy Ceplina, of Raymondville, who has served on the board since 2006.
“It’s a very good organization,” Ceplina said. “Our food department serves a lot of people from across the county, and a lot of people wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for the food pantry. And having Bennie here has been great. He has really helped get this moving even better – he’s very passionate about it and he loves to help people.
“I don’t think the man ever sleeps.”
The bulk of the pantry’s funding comes through various grants (some from the state level others from private sources), but large and small private donations are also an integral source. Patient advocate and bookkeeper Cindy Haley does the pantry’s grant writing.
“She does an amazing job,” Ceplina said.
The pantry has secured more funding for 2015 than any other year, including $150,000 through a Missouri Housing Trust Fund grant (the largest ever received by the pantry), $35,000 from a Walmart Foundation grant.
“This place has definitely been blessed,” Cook said. “We get a tremendous amount of support from our funding sources and the community, and we have a lot of people who work hard to make this possible.”
Funding for the pantry’s daily operation also comes from sales at its thrift store, which is open to the public. All items sold in the store are obtained by private donation.
Food distributed by the pantry is obtained from several sources. Much of it is purchased at discount pricing from Ozark Food Harvest, a charitable organization based in Springfield. More food is obtained through the Walmart Foundation’s “Feeding America” program (which provides unsold food to banks and pantries across the nation and reduces the amount of organic waste going into landfills), while still more comes from donations made by churches and individuals, and even the University of Missouri Extension Community Garden.
While much of the food distributed by the pantry is picked up by clients at the facility, food manager John Randall delivers more to satellite locations in Cabool, Summersville and Plato where trained volunteers funnel it to its final destination.
At the outset, the pantry operated out of space inside Houston United Methodist Church. The present location was acquired in 1994 thanks to a donation from The Bank of Houston, and a building addition and renovation took place in 2006 via a USDA Rural Development Grant.
The pantry building’s electricity is partially provided by a solar power system donated by Sun Solar of Houston. The system will soon be expanded and cover a major portion of the pantry’s electric needs.
Cook said the pantry works in partnership with more than 30 other organizations.
“This wouldn’t work if we all didn’t work together,” he said. “You have to have the partners because you can’t do it all.”
Past and present board members and employees will be recognized for their contributions during the anniversary event, and several prominent people from the food pantry’s past are expected to attend, including Sister Margaret Hall (who was director from 1994 to 2003) and former board president Bob Joens.
“The state of the food pantry is great right now,” Ceplina said. “We have an excellent staff, our thrift shop is doing great and our food department is, too. This is a very big business for the county, and the county is fortunate to have it.”
“This place has come a long way,” Cook said, “and we’re still growing.”
TEXAS COUNTY FOOD PANTRY STAFF
•Executive director: Bennie Cook
•Patient advocate, grant writer, bookkeeper: Cindy Haley
•Food Manager: John Randall
•Thrift store manager: Teresa Gaston
•Intake specialist: Tanya Pacheco
•Head of maintenance: Robert Malota
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
•President: Guy Ceplina
•Vice president: Joyce Campbell
•Treasurer: Harold Bruening
•Secretary: Heather Satterfield
•Members: Dr. Patricia Benoist, Naomi Campbell, Omanez Fockler, Rita House, Angel Wells
Texas County Food Pantry director Bennie Cook is seeking volunteers to help with several tasks, including record keeping, food stocking and distribution and thrift store operation. For more information about the Food Pantry, call Cook at 417-967-4484 or email tcfpdirector@centurytel.net.
The Pantry is also online at www.txfoodpantry.com and on Facebook at texascountyfoodpantryinc.
Our food department serves a lot of people from across the county, and a lot of people wouldn’t eat if it wasn’t for the food pantry.”