Case Manager Seeks to Lift Up Neighbors at Pleasant Grove Food Pantry

An NTFB grant supported the addition of a part-time staff member who is supporting neighbors with resources beyond food.

Whether they’re piecing together resources following an apartment fire or seeking assistance to make ends meet after an especially high utility bill, the case manager at Pleasant Grove Pantry hopes neighbors never have shame about asking for help.

“We don’t need them to feel that. I’m here to connect them to the services they need,” says case manager Cassandra.

Open since 2010, Pleasant Grove Pantry has long provided food-insecure neighbors in the surrounding area with access to groceries. However, Martha Doleshal, president of the pantry, says they know food is often just one of many needs a neighbor has when they walk through the doors at Pleasant Grove Christian Church, which provides space for the pantry to operate.

They applied for a North Texas Food Bank Hope for Tomorrow Grant in 2024 and received the funding to support a part-time case manager who can connect neighbors with the other support they need. Cassandra, who went back to school as an adult to study social services, had been volunteering during food distributions each Monday and Tuesday and was a natural fit to assist the neighbors she’d long been serving.

“The case manager serves as an advocate, finds resources and referrals, and follows up with neighbors to measure success,” says Martha. “The impact for Pleasant Grove Food Pantry is that we are able to not only help our neighbors fight food insecurity but also take additional steps toward the ultimate goal of becoming self-sufficient—that means healthier, happier neighbors and community.”