For 38 years, White Rock Center of Hope has provided food to the East Dallas community.
Getting Started
For the first 36 of those years, Hope served individuals and families facing food insecurity through a traditional food pantry model. Neighbors could receive food once each month. While the type and quantity of food varied over time, the contents of each order were selected by volunteers, with little or no input from the recipients themselves.
Reimagining Hope’s Food Pantry
Over the last two and a half years, Hope’s Food Pantry has been fully reimagined.
Today, on weekdays, neighbors shop in a redesigned space that feels like a small grocery store. Neighbors select the items their families prefer and will actually use. This neighbor-choice model restores dignity, encourages autonomy, and significantly reduces food waste.
Expanding Access: Launching a Drive Through Distribution
In response to neighbor feedback, Hope piloted a drive-through style food distribution on several Saturday mornings in late 2023. Significant interest, participation, and appreciation suggested this should become permanent.
Beginning in January 2024, Hope formally launched drive-through distributions on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
When these large-scale events began, they required 15 volunteers. As the number of families seeking assistance steadily increased, that number grew to 40 volunteers per event. More recently, continued growth has required 60 volunteer. Incredibly, at several recent events, more than 80 volunteers have come together to make these events possible.
Growth Upon Growth
Today, Hope’s Saturday drive-through distributions serve between 350 and 400 families — representing approximately 1,400 to 1,600 people — and distribute more than 20,000 pounds of food in a single morning.
Each family receives a grocery cart filled with a variety of items, typically including:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Shelf-stable foods
- Bakery items
- Protein
- Snacks
- Assorted other items
Powered by Partnerships
This rapid growth has only been possible through strong partnerships and a deeply engaged community.
Food sourcing begins with Hope’s long-standing partnership with the North Texas Food Bank. Through NTFB, Hope works with Sharing Life, the regional distribution hub serving our geographic area, and participates in a retail partnership program that connects Hope with more than 10 local grocery stores.
Beyond food sourcing, the distributions are powered by people.
In addition to individual community volunteers, Saturday drive-throughs are staffed by volunteers from area churches, service clubs, youth organizations, and even homeowners associations. As more members of the East Dallas community step forward to serve, Hope is able to provide more food to neighbors in need.
Last fiscal year, Hope set a new record by distributing more than 1 million pounds of food. Approximately half was distributed through Saturday drive-through events, and half through the weekday neighbor-choice pantry.
Recently, Hope has served more than 400 families on multiple Saturdays, which is a visible reminder of both the growing need and the growing response of our community.
So What?
If you live, work, play, learn, or simply care about East Dallas, there is a place for you at Hope.
- Volunteer. Serve at a Saturday food distribution or in the weekday Food Pantry. Additional opportunities include the Thrift Store, Clothing Closet, and administrative support.
- Donate. Hope stretches every dollar to serve more than 14,500 unique neighbors each year, providing both basic needs (Food Pantry and Clothing Closet) and personalized empowerment (Financial Education and Workforce Training). You can also donate food, clothing, and gently used household items at Hope’s Donation Door, open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Shop. Thrift for good at Hope! 100% of your purchases at Hope Thrift support White Rock Center of Hope. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
If you’re not sure where to begin but would welcome a conversation or like to schedule a tour, please reach out. One of my favorite parts of serving as Hope’s CEO is introducing people to this extraordinary work.
Together, we can build an East Dallas where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.