Taressa Adams has been managing the Forney Food Pantry for seven years and she recognizes that as the community has grown, so have the needs of the people living here. The food pantry, which use to be called the New Life Food Pantry, has been serving the neediest people in Forney for 24 years. Their ability to continue that service could be in jeopardy now, thanks in large part to the destructive EF-3 tornado that did severe damage to their building on April 3, 2012.
Taressa Adams has been managing the Forney Food Pantry for seven years and she recognizes that as the community has grown, so have the needs of the people living here. The food pantry, which use to be called the New Life Food Pantry, has been serving the neediest people in Forney for 24 years. Their ability to continue that service could be in jeopardy now, thanks in large part to the destructive EF-3 tornado that did severe damage to their building on April 3, 2012.
The Forney Food Pantry primarily serves Forney, but because Crandall does not have a food bank they assist some Crandall citizens as well. They are no longer run through a church, nor do they have any affiliation through the City of Forney. The pantry is a non-profit that is run 100 percent through donations. Though local businesses and residents donate generously to the food pantry, Adams says, “The United Way supports us so much—if we didn't have them we couldn't make it.” On the day inForney.com was there, dozens of people were lined up to pick up food, toiletries, and even donated clothes from the shelter.
Things had been looking up for the Forney Food Pantry when they moved from a small, run-downed house in downtown Forney and into a 4,800 square foot building in the industrial area of Mustang Creek Park off of Highway 80. The Sealy Corporation owns the metal buildings in the area and they donated a building free of charge to the food bank. Unfortunately, their luck changed when the tornado came through, shredding the metal building right next to them, and doing extensive exterior and interior damage to the food pantry. Adams still feels lucky, no one was inside at the time the tornado passed through, and despite the damage, not one can of food was knocked off the shelf.
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Adams showed up at the building to check on it just hours after the tornado was gone. She said, “I saw it and asked why all my doors were open? But they weren't open, they were all gone.” The Sealy Corp replaced the doors and put a tarp on part of the roof that was missing, but there is still an entire portion of the back wall that is simply gone from the building. Adams said, “The insurance company says there is about a one percent chance that they won't condemn the building.” Every beam supporting the roof was bent and would have to be replaced, and that is just the start. “I wish we could stay here...if they could fix the structure we could work on fixing the inside,” said Adams. She knows that is not likely to happen.
The Sealy Corp has already offered The Forney Food Pantry the free use of the building at 215 Industrial Blvd. and that facility is 6,000 square feet. However, in order to make that structure ready for the food pantry, it will require plumbing, a bathroom, electrical work, a ceiling, walls, office space, and heating and air conditioning. The building is just a metal shell at this point. Adams estimates it may take up to $100,000 to make the building ready for the pantry. The pantry needs a new location before October when the rainy season begins again and water comes pouring into their partially missing roof and walls.
Adams is hopeful that with the help of the community, local businesses, and possibly the City of Forney, they can raise the needed funds. She says, “I believe we're going to raise enough money to have a spectacular building. I believe in Forney. If we shut down, who is going to feed all these people?” The food pantry is open only on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and on average they will feed 45-60 families on that day. That means 115 to 230 people each week are able to eat because the pantry helps them.
Volunteers like Crystal Stewart and her daughters are a valuable piece of the food pantry family. Stewart volunteers regularly to help fill up a small cart of food for each family that comes to the pantry. Adams says they are always looking for more volunteers, though usually they have an adequate amount in the summer time. The big problem in the summer is that because children are out of school, the need for food to feed the families increases. Those kids normally get free breakfast and lunch at their school, but that's not an option when school is out. It's just another example of the importance of the Forney Food Pantry.
Adams has spoken to a few local businesses about donating funds to help fix up the new building or to repair the current building. She is hoping that businesses may challenge each other to match donations to get the pantry back into an adequate facility. She says, “I think something good will come of it. I'm trying to think of it as a blessing in disguise.”
If you would like to help the Forney Food Pantry with monetary or food/toiletry donations, or to volunteer, contact Taressa Adams at 972-552-2011. You can send checks to the Forney Food Pantry at P.O. Box 2343 Forney, Tx. 75126. The pantry is currently located at 222 Industrial Drive and there is a drop off box located outside the front door.
