HIM Center works to feed the need

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

With the holidays comes a focus on food – turkey for Thanksgiving, ham and tamales for Christmas. But for some Mansfield residents, just having enough to eat is an everyday struggle.

“Mansfield is not as rich as people think,” said Lisa Richardson, CEO of the HIM Center in Mansfield, a food bank that serves Tarrant and Johnson counties. “People are living 10-15 in a household.”

And the need is still growing, Richardson said.

“During COVID, we fed 6,000 individuals a week,” she said. “I saw more grown men in tears and angry. Many have come back and donated or volunteered.

“I don’t know that we’ve dug out from that,” Richardson said. “We’re getting 20 new applications a day for food assistance, 60 percent from people losing their jobs, single parents. Teachers come here for help. They don’t want people to know they need help. Ninety percent are people trying to get back on their feet.”

The HIM Center is a food bank, and has a food pantry. Richardson explained the difference.

“A food bank is a large warehouse that houses bulk groceries that are distributed to pantries,” she said. “A pantry helps people in the community who need food.”

The HIM Center, 150 S. 6th Ave., has a 15,000-square-foot warehouse that is donated by Mansfield Cares. The HIM Center is in its 25th year, and operates as an independent food bank, one of very few.

“Most of the large food banks are under Feeding America,” Richardson said. “They have government programs and purchase food from the USDA. We purchase food from food distribution companies, like Tyson, Heinz, Labatt. We are in a co-op with eight other backpack meal programs in Texas.”

The HIM Center’s food pantry serves 125 families weekly.

“They go online and order,” Richardson said. “Proteins are our biggest needs, beef, fish, chicken, fruits, vegetables and dry goods. If we have them, milk or dairy. Water always gets donated.

“We interview them and ask for ID,” she said. “We verify income, if there is income. We ask the number in the household. We tailor, based on the size. We do three-month assistance. If they’re a senior citizen, we don’t refuse them. Generally, they come here monthly to get enough groceries to supplement what they have. After three months, they graduate.”

Because they are an independent food bank, the HIM Center is free to practice their faith, Richardson said.

“We are a Christian food bank,” she said. “We want to pray for them, if we can. That one-on-one is important. The normal person doesn’t want to be here.”

Richardson said that the HIM Center does ask questions before handing out food.

“Any food pantry, we need to know who you are,” she said. “Our funding comes from donors and grants. We do check legal status. We don’t turn them down, we refer them to an agency in Fort Worth that can help.”

The HIM Center doesn’t charge for food, but they do charge pantries for maintenance fees and labor, depending on the number of pallets, Richardson said.

“A pallet of Blue Diamond almonds and a pallet of peanut butter are completely different,” she said. “We try to give them what they need and not worry about pounds.”

She does worry about quality, rejecting cheap and expired or about-to-expire food.

The HIM Center works with Mansfield’s Common Ground Weekend Backpack Program and Feed the Kids, and in Arlington with New Day, serving 44 schools in the Arlington ISD. The food bank partners with Rush Creek to help schools in Arlington and Kennedale, too. The HIM Center also helps feed 100 kids a week in Venus during the summer and on weekends.

The HIM Center helps food pantries at Mansfield and Legacy high schools.

“The students can pick up here or we deliver to the campus or their house,” she said. “You don’t want your best friend to know.”

The rising need and increased cost of groceries has taken a toll on the HIM Center, Richardson said. She expected to give out 500 meals for Thanksgiving.

“I’m in a negative status for the year, due to insurance costs and increase in food cost,” she said.

But she and the HIM Center continue to feed the need.

“The biggest misconception is that people are lazy and don’t really need the food,” she said. “They are really in need.”

To donate or to get help, go to himcenter.org.

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