Good Samaritans of Garland Adds Climate-Controlled Storage with NTFB Grant
The NTFB partner pantry used its $14,000 grant, enabled by the Hillcrest Foundation, to expand its capacity to accept donations and support neighbors with food.
An additional 10,000 pounds of shelf-stable food—the equivalent of 8,333 meals—can now be stored at Good Samaritans of Garland thanks to the installation of a 20-foot climate-controlled storage container.
The container was purchased with a North Texas Food Bank Capacity Building Grant that was made possible by the Hillcrest Foundation. It empowers Good Sam to efficiently manage inventory, minimize spoilage and ensure every family they serve receives high-demand items they want and use regularly, such as peanut butter, canned meat and produce.
The Hillcrest Foundation generously supported $250,000 in grants during fiscal year 2024. NTFB is grateful for their partnership and support, which enabled Good Sam as well as nine other NTFB partners to increase their capacity to serve more neighbors through the purchase of essential equipment.
Good Sam Executive Director Sara Kenefake says the added space provided by the storage unit helps them distribute even more nutritious food to the larger number of neighbors they have served in recent months.
“We are seeing a higher level of need in the community, with more families requiring assistance due to economic challenges. We anticipate the need will continue to grow, making the extra storage space even more crucial in ensuring we can provide for all those in need,” she says.
Sara adds that the container also allows them to better steward donations and to accept large amounts of food they might not have been able to store before.
For example, a nearby church organized a mac-and-cheese drive that resulted in around 2,4000 pounds of pasta being donated. That would have been a struggle to accept before, simply because of space limitations, but with the container they were able to accommodate the donation and use it as needed.
Good Sam is preparing to move to a larger facility and Sara says even at their new location, the storage container will be an asset, particularly when it comes to managing the over 1 million pounds of donations they receive from NTFB partner retail stores.
“The container will help us manage and utilize these donations more effectively, rather than feeling the pressure to immediately distribute them to our families,” she says.
After participating in NTFB’s grant program, Sara says she tells other partner pantries to ask for support if they need it.
“We are deeply grateful for the support from NTFB that makes this possible—it’s helping us to better serve our neighbors now and in the future,” Sara says. “We encourage partnering agencies not to let limited space determine how many neighbors you can serve or what items you can provide. NTFB is here to support you in succeeding, growing, and overcoming any obstacles you face.”
Hillcrest Foundation Funded Grants at the following partners: