In 1978, several exceptional and caring individuals from Redeemer Lutheran Church led by Rev. Bill Hunt came together to attempt to alleviate hunger in our community. They started a small food pantry in the church and served a few families a week. In 1981, they were joined by members of Grace Presbyterian Church to create something with a broader reach and gave it the name FISH, in remembrance of Jesus’ miracle of feeding over 5000 with just a few fishes and loaves of bread. Soon, other churches and individuals joined and the mission began to grow as the larger need in the community was recognized.
Now, 40 years later, our mission has not changed, but has grown and evolved into a true partnership between area churches, community members, county businesses, and other non-profits, social service agencies and foundations to not only feed the hungry, but to help families deal with many of the crisis situations that can devastate our most vulnerable populations. Families in our community experience firsthand the reality of job loss, illness, abuse and other family crises. Hunt County Shared Ministries is a safety net for Hunt County residents.
Today HCSM works hard to go above and beyond providing only canned goods and pantry staples by ensuring that the poorest in our county have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, lean ground turkey, and chicken. Each year, HCSM distributes over $1,000,000 in food resources. It is a well, known fact that a child who eats will have a better opportunity to be physically and mentally healthy and to be successful in school. Many senior adults are faced with the choice about whether to fill a necessary prescription or buy food. A mother cannot concentrate at work if she’s worried about what the family will eat for dinner, and a father should not have to go to bed hungry because he sacrificed a meal for his children.
During these trying times, HCSM can help families move beyond the crisis and get back on their feet. If this ministry can ease the stresses that families find themselves under these days, interject a sense of hope rather than desperation and calm the fears associated with a job loss or family illness, then HCSM can help families begin to live well.
From our humble beginnings as a small food pantry, HCSM has developed several programs in addition to providing nutritious food resources that help improve the lives of Hunt County Families. These include the
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Community Garden
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M.A.R.K. (Meals for At Risk Kids) which serves over 300 children in 5 Hunt County school districts each week
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Annual Fan Drive (with Angels Care Home Health)
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Home Depot Surplus Materials program
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Herald Banner Food Drive, Scouting for Food, Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger, and many other community food drives
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Jingle Bowls Pet Food program (with Turtle Creek Veterinary Medical Clinic)
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Thanksgiving and Christmas food programs, which combine efforts with food pantries in Commerce, Caddo Mills, Quinlan and Wolfe City to reach over 1000 families each holiday.
Our Community Partners group provides not only financial support for HCSM, but also in many other ways. We receive both financial and volunteer support from L3 Mission Integration, Innovation First, Hunt Regional Healthcare and many others. Utility assistance comes from GEUS, Farmers Electric and TXU. Food assistance is provided by the North Texas Food Bank, Walmart, Brookshires, Aldi and Panera. And financial and volunteer assistance comes from Hunt County United Way and many schools, churches and service clubs in our community.
HCSM helps over 19,000 families each year. So, whether you choose to join our team as a volunteer, become a donor, or refer a family that needs our services, you can feel confident that you are helping us to make a difference in helping all members of our community thrive.
