Circle of Hope celebrates one year of helping families

The Circle of Hope Community Center celebrated its first year during a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon. Executive Director Tina Lee and her husband Derek Lee, communications director, opened the food pantry and resource and learning facility at 2900 West Pecan St. in July 2018.

About 30 people, including members of the Pflugerville Chamber of Commerce, attended the event where Derek and Tina provided tours and recognized those who have helped the center in its mission of helping families facing difficult times.

With children at home from school, the summer months have been especially busy, Tina said. In July, the pantry served over 380 families.

"That's 1,195 individuals," she said, adding that the center usually serves an average of nearly 200 families each month.

"You would think with the economy getting better that there wouldn't be as much need, but the need is as great as ever," Derek added.

Tina said the center has no ZIP code restrictions, meaning it can help anyone in need. She said families come from Round Rock, Hutto, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Leander and Austin for assistance. All of them are qualified to receive help, she said, with the only requirement being an intake form provided by the Central Texas Food Bank.

Tina is no stranger to helping the community, having previously served as executive director of the Storehouse food pantry. The local nonprofit provided food and support to the Pflugerville community for 14 years before shuttering its doors in 2017 due to a lack of funding. Tin had resigned about a year before the pantry shut down.

RELATED: Storehouse food pantry in Pflugerville closes

Despite leaving the Storehouse, Tina said it was still in her heart to serve people in need. Still seeing a need in the area, she made plans to open a food pantry of her own.

"This was my passion," she said. "This was my calling. It's fantastic to be able to be a part of Circle of Hope and provide nourishment for our neighbors in need."

Circle of Hope formed in 2017 before the couple locked down a facility in 2018 — which happened to be the former home of a palm reader on West Pecan Street. In an effort to make the center as inviting as possible, Tina and Derek renovated the building to include a front porch and waiting area.

Clients who come to the center find a restroom with towels and other necessities so they can shower and get clean, and are provided a ready-made meal.

"Most of our neighbors that come in already feel so ostracized, and so we wanted to diffuse that," Tina said. "We want people to feel that when they walk in, they're walking into our home."

While the center's main mission is providing food, Derek said they assist families in other ways. Clients receive help in tracking their bills and other expenses and are educated on  resources that are available for financial assistance.

Through Project Hope, the center's outreach program, Circle of Hope partners with local schools in assisting low income families with needs such as school supplies, shoes, clothing, coats and Christmas gifts. They also provide necessities such as furniture and appliances to families transitioning from a temporary residence to a permanent one.

Derek said plans are being made to provide classes on budgeting, cooking on a budget and parenting.

"We don't want to make them dependent on the food pantry," Derek said. "We want to empower them and give them those tools where they can complete where they're at right now and be more self sufficient in their lives. That's our end goal."

The center needs financial support, donations and volunteers to continue to stay open, which Derek said is the biggest challenge facing Circle of Hope. He said the center especially needs drivers to pick up food from local businesses like Aldi and H-E-B, as well as the Central Texas Food Bank in South Austin.

He said he and Tina are working to make the community more aware of the center to raise support.

"We very purposefully called it Circle of Hope because we needed the whole community to be a part of what we're doing here," he said. "It really takes a community of everyone — businesses, churches, schools, civic organizations and fellow neighbors — to really want to gather together as a community to serve those that are in need."

Different community events, including neighborhood food drives, have helped the center remain open.

The center's annual Family Fun Run in October at Lake Pflugerville helps collect donations for the food pantry, and a golf tournament is held each year. The third annual tournament is scheduled for April 20, 2020, at Lost Creek Country Club.

"That's been a tremendous help to us," Derek said of the events. "That helps keep our costs down so that we're not having to buy that food ourselves."

Ultimately, Tina said she wants Circle of Hope to restore a neighborly feel to Pflugerville.

"I would like to see our community become more unified and more compassionate and more understanding," she said. "We're trying to help people and give them hope."

The Circle of Hope food pantry is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For more information, to donate or volunteer, visit circleofhopecc.org.