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Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County\u2019s Welcome Center opens its doors to the public on Jan. 20, 2026. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\nIn the 1930s, the tan brick building located at the heart of East Lancaster served as an entrance to Fort Worth as part of a building for the Texas and Pacific Railway, said Charles Wolford, Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County president and CEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The space, located at 1350 E. Lancaster Ave., has lived many lives in its nearly 100-year history, Wolford said. Today, he hopes unhoused individuals and families will know it as a place to call home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Members of Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, city leaders and local government officials celebrated the opening of the nonprofit\u2019s new Welcome Center in east Fort Worth. The facility will serve as the entry point for people experiencing homelessness and a centralized hub of resources and services aimed at addressing housing instability.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The facility officially opens to the public for servicing beginning on Jan. 20. Facility doors will be open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Operating services will be offered 24\/7.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Welcome Center is consistent with what we want to try to achieve as we roll out what we consider Christian hospitality,\u201d Wolford said. \u201cWhen someone comes into the Union Gospel Mission, we want them to feel as if they\u2019re loved and cared for like never before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County\u2019s Welcome Center opens its doors to the public on Jan. 20, 2026. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
Mission staff will offer personalized housing assessments, shelter diversion services and, sometimes, entry into the nonprofit\u2019s programs. The facility will work in tandem with the Mission\u2019s Community Outreach Center, which offers job training as well as financial literacy and education classes to people experiencing homelessness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fort Worth City Council members Mia Hall, Michael Crain, Macy Hill and Chris Nettles attended Thursday\u2019s event.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Welcome Center is a \u201cstep in the right direction\u201d when it comes to meeting the needs of unhoused people and families in Fort Worth, said District 6 council member Mia Hall.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a housing crisis in our community, and most of us are just one step away<\/p>\n
from an emergency ourselves,\u201d Hall said. \u201cIt\u2019s very important that we have these safety nets for our neighbors.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC06999--1024x683.jpg\")
Attendees gather at 1350 E. Lancaster Ave. for Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County\u2019s grand opening of its Welcome Center on Jan. 15, 2026. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
Homelessness increased by 11% from 2024 to 2025 in Tarrant and Parker counties, according to a State of Homelessness Address<\/a> in May from Partnership Home, the lead agency in both areas\u2019 homelessness response.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agency reported 2,637 people experiencing homelessness in Tarrant and Parker counties, with 2,289 of those individuals \u2014 or 86.8% \u2014 located in Fort Worth.<\/p>\n The data comes from the annual Point in Time Count conducted in January<\/a> as part of a federally mandated count designed to be a snapshot of the number of people and families experiencing homelessness on a single night. This year\u2019s Point in Time Count<\/a> will take place on Jan. 22.<\/p>\n Nettles\u2019 district includes the mission\u2019s shelter as well as the Presbyterian Night Shelter.\u00a0<\/p>\n Union Gospel Mission \u201chas continued to invest back into the community,\u201d Nettles said. The new Welcome Center serves as another step forward in helping people experiencing homelessness, he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI tell people all the time that the Union Gospel Mission is not just a homeless shelter, it is a pillar for a second chance,\u201d Nettles said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Welcome Center includes spaces like the Dignity Center, where visitors in distress can change into a fresh pair of clothes. Individuals recently discharged from a hospital or a behavior health facility could use one of the 24 beds available in the facility\u2019s recuperation care area.\u00a0<\/p>\n Services on East Lancaster like the Welcome Center are an example of how \u201cwe take care of the least of these,\u201d Crain said, referencing a phrase in the Bible where Jesus speaks of helping those in need in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats.<\/p>\n \u201cWe as government officials have to wrestle with resources and what that looks like but, ultimately, we need to take care of everybody as much as we can,\u201d Crain said. \u201cI\u2019m proud of what Union Gospel Mission is doing and making a difference here forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC07082--1024x683.jpg\")
Framed statements inside Union Gospel Mission\u2019s Welcome Center share core values of the faith-based nonprofit. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/DSC07103--1024x683.jpg\")
Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County\u2019s new Welcome Center includes 24 beds as part of its recuperation care area of the facility. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)
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Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County\u2019s new Welcome Center will include a community clinic. (Marissa Greene | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n