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Remember, 25% of the funds raised from the 2007 Waco CROP Walk will
be used for local relief.
The 2008 local beneficiary is Caritas.
Caritas, located at 300 S. 15th Street in Waco, (254-753-4593) primarily provides emergency assistance to people by
giving them a monthly allocation of food, which is obtained from various sources such as local food drives in organizations,
businesses and congregations, salvaged food from grocery stores, and America's Second Harvest (the national food bank) through
Capital Area Food Bank in Austin. The food assistance average 60-70 lbs, depending on the size of the family Caritas also
provides emergency assistance to people with clothing, utilities, prescription medications, rent, mortgage, and emergency
lodging, and transportation. These emergency assistance programs are funded through individual and corporate donations, as
well as thrift store sales. Caritas aids approximately 1500 families a month.
The 2007 local beneficiary is the Gospel Cafe.
The Gospel Cafe is located in the Kate Ross neighborhood at the corner of 11th St. and Cleveland
Ave. It is a ministry of Cross Ties Ecumenical Church. The cafe serves over 200 people each Wednesday, Thursday,
and Friday between the hours of 11:00AM and 1:00PM. The volunteer staff works tirelessly to serve delicious home-cooked
meals are available to anyone and everyone. Stop in some time!
The 2006 local beneficiary was the Red Door Food Pantry.
People living with HIV have found the increasing cost of utilities and transportation competing
with the cost for the medications necessary for survival. The goal of the Red
Door Food Pantry is to ease the financial burden by providing food assistance.
The Pantry is available
for anyone who can show any evidence of HIV status. Call 752-5331 for more information.
It is always collecting donations and soliciting funds to equip the pantry with items.
If you would like to help out, we encourage you to pick up a few extra items next time you are at the grocery and drop
them by the church. The Pantry is easy to find:
it's at the corner of 16th St. and Clay Ave. Just enter through the red door at 16th St.
The 2005 local beneficiary was Operation CRISIS.
Operation C.R.I.S.I.S. is an
emergency assistance agency founded by the Waco Baptist Association (WBA).
Operation C.R.I.S.I.S. (Churches Responding in Service and Support) opened its doors back in 1976 to assist people
with emergency needs. According to longtime volunteer Ann Osborne, the ministry moved in 1981 from the old downtown WBA headquarters
to its present location in a small storefront space at 712 Franklin.
For sixteen years, Paul Smith directed the operation. By the time he retired around five years ago, the number of recipients
had grown significantly. Ed Hyde, presently co-director with his wife Wanda, said the agency continues to respond to people
with various emergency needs—such as food, clothing, utilities, and prescriptions.
Hyde said the organization distributed food to 720 people last month. With 72 volunteers last year, they processed
3,958 family requests for assistance—along with 1,800 individual requests. The group distributed food to 7,874 people
and clothing to 6,164 people last year.
Hyde said the staff also gives away Bibles to recipients, but they are never forced to take a Bible or to attend a
religious service. The agency gave away 449 Bibles last year.
Operation C.R.I.S.I.S. is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 to 11:30 AM to assist people. Osborne—who volunteers
on Thursdays with a group from Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Robinson—said the agency needs volunteers to help during
those hours, but that she often works with groups (such as youth groups) during the afternoon and on Saturdays to sort clothing.
Operation C.R.I.S.I.S. will gladly accept donations of money, food (or money for food), or clothing. Osborne said they
particularly need clothing in big sizes and children’s sizes. She added that they don’t have many children’s
coats in the clothing pantry, which will be a serious problem once the thermometer begins to drop.
For more information, contact Ed or Wanda Hyde at 752-6315 or go by 712 Franklin during operating hours.
The 2004 recipient of local CROP Walk money was the
McLennan County Hunger Coalition
The McLennan County Hunger Coalition was formed in 2004 because of rising numbers of people in poverty. Representatives
from Caritas of Waco, The Care Center of Highland Baptist Church, Crestview Church of Christ, Greater New Light Missionary
Baptist Church, Operation Crisis, and The Salvation Army have been meeting to develop a coalition of the pantries in the Waco area.
The purpose of the Coalition is to develop communication and a working relationship between the food pantries in the
Waco area. The group determined that there are about 20 pantries in the area, most of them in churches. The Coalition gives
them a way to support each other, avoid duplication of services, and, in so doing, help the persons who are in the most need.
The 2003 recipient of local CROP Walk money was the
Salvation Army
The 2002 recipient of local CROP Walk money was Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels: Meals on Wheels are served
from twenty-three sites in Waco between 9:00-noon. Volunteers
are needed to dish-up meals into serving containers, and packaging milk, bread, and desserts. Takes about one hour. Volunteer
drivers are needed to deliver meals to the homebound elderly. Routes usually consist of 10-12 people. A meal and related dessert
sack are delivered to each person. A route usually takes less than an hour to complete. Individuals with counseling or social
work experience are needed to help with assessment on clients. All Meals on Wheels clients must be reassessed every six months.
This is an ongoing process. If an individual is qualified to do assessments, they may also be asked to link clients with social
services within the community.
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