As the holidays approach, many North Texas families are feeling the strain of a difficult year. The Storehouse in Plano is seeing that need firsthand. They are a nonprofit food bank that makes sure thousands are taken care of each year.

“So when you look, even just pre-pandemic, until today, it’s more than 400% increase in the number of neighbors that we serve,” said Sarah Whitland, the chief development officer at The Storehouse.

Food has always been at the core of the nonprofit’s mission. Families can receive up to 90 pounds of food per visit.

“Last year, we served 160,000 unduplicated neighbors. That is individuals served, not number of touchpoints,” Whitland said.

The Storehouse also offers clothing, job training, financial support, and health resources, all designed to help neighbors gain skills, find stable work, and live better.

“We want to walk alongside them until we’re able to connect them with living wage employment,” Whitland said.

Many of the people they serve come from what staff call “invisible poverty” in North Dallas, a high-need area that often goes overlooked. More than 2,300 volunteers help make sure families are supported.

“I am very much in favor of helping where we can, in every aspect,” said volunteer Susan Hildebrand.

For volunteers, the work is a calling.

“It’s so hard to believe that in this country, people go hungry. And so if I can help, in my own little corner of the world, then I have done something good,” said volunteer Jamie Jenkins.

The Storehouse is fully donation-funded, and 92 cents of every dollar goes straight back into the community.

That’s why it was chosen as a recipient of a $1,000 donation through CBS News Texas’ 11 Days of Giving, sponsored by Tom Thumb Albertsons.

“That thousand dollars, that is direct support for our neighbors, that is directly impacting the families that we serve,” Whitland said.

The gift will help The Storehouse continue its mission and reach more families across North Texas.

If you’re interested in learning more about The Storehouse, donating, or volunteering, please visit here: https://www.thestorehousecc.org/