Donor Spotlight Q&A: Cottonwood Creek Church
The North Texas Food Bank is incredibly grateful for the generous individuals, organizations and corporations who have allowed us to meet the elevated need of the North Texas community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these donors have supported hunger relief since before the pandemic and remain vital partners of NTFB as we help our communities recover and provide Food for Today and Hope for Tomorrow.
Faith-based organizations have provided long-time critical support of the Food Bank – both financially and also as our partners in distributing meals across our 13-county service area. Of the more than 200 member agencies in our Feeding Network, more than half are faith-based. Similarly, our Mobile Pantry distribution sites also benefit from the generosity of faith-based hosts. To date, in 2021, 61 percent of households served at a Mobile Pantry were fed at a site that was faith-based.
Financially, faith-based organizations have made a major impact since the onset of the COVID pandemic, collectively donating more than $576,000 and providing access to more than 1.7 million nutritious meals!
We are so appreciative of these organizations for whom serving the community is an essential part of their beliefs and missions. This includes Cottonwood Creek Church in Allen, which supports the Food Bank though both volunteer time and financial resources, providing 144,000 meals for the community through its support. We visited with Robin Vestal, Cottonwood’s Communications Director, to learn more about its mission of strengthening communities and how hunger relief is a significant component of its work.
Q: Tell us more about your relationship with the North Texas Food Bank and what that means to the church.
A: Cottonwood Creek Church is proud to be a longtime partner of the North Texas Food Bank. From food drives to volunteer events and more, Cottonwood Creek and the North Texas Food Bank have fostered a strong relationship through years of collaboration. This partnership provides a consistent means for Cottonwood Creek to serve those in need, which is one of the highest priorities at Cottonwood Creek.
Q: What inspired you to get involved with the Food Bank?
A: The great need for food displayed in the community inspired Cottonwood Creek’s involvement with the North Texas Food Bank. One of God’s greatest commandments is loving others as ourselves. For Cottonwood Creek, that means doing everything we can to help provide food for the 800,000 hungry people in North Texas.
Q: Why is giving back to the community in general, as well as to hunger-relief, important to Cottonwood Creek Church and its mission?
A: As previously mentioned, serving the community is an essential function of Cottonwood Creek. In Luke 3:11, Jesus spoke to a crowd and said, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same.” Again and again, Scripture clearly states that we should make the needs of others a priority in our lives. Hunger-relief is a particularly pertinent need because food is a necessity for adults and children to function in their daily lives.
Q: What would you say to other faith organizations, corporations or individuals that are looking for ways to help right now?
A: The most important thing is taking the first step. Whether you contribute monetarily through donation or with your time through volunteer work, it will make a difference in the community.
The North Texas Food Bank is a fantastic organization that performs an essential function in the North Texas community, and Cottonwood Creek Church looks forward to what our partnership will bring in the future!
Thank you to Cottonwood Creek Church and all our supporters for your commitment to hunger relief. We are incredibly grateful as we continue our mission to bridge the hunger gap in North Texas.