Bastrop County Takes Care of its Own

The Good Neighbors Campaign is a county-wide effort to serve the community now and into the future. For over 37 years, the BCEFP has served our neighbors through the generosity of good neighbors like you. And together, we've exceeded expectations, continually growing to serve better, all from the facilities, of which the oldest building is over 100 years old.

However, as our aging structures decline, the need for our services is vastly increasing. Compounding the facility challenges is the lack of adequate storage and the spread-out nature of the facilities on our campus. All of these challenges and inefficiencies hamper our ability to serve the neighbors who rely on us most.

We are building with the future in mind.

This new 9.2 thousand square foot facility will allow us to house 1 million pounds of food! The new warehouse and walk-in freezer and refrigerator will not only give more space for our Food Pantry but will allow us to distribute extra food to our food pantry partners throughout the county. This extra food will allow us to meet the growing needs of our community, which has been on the rise since 2020.

Make a Gift

WAYS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAMPAIGN

Cash, Card & Check
Donor-Advised Fund
In-Kind
Legacy Gift

Download the Pledge Form
Challenge Grant: Taise $360,000 by July 2025 and recieve $650,000 from the Mabee Foundation.

Our Capital Campaign Steering Committee

Sharah Johnson- Chairperson
Chase Anderson
Linda Wilson
Elizabeth “Liz” Waldrip
Johnny Sanders
Maureen Stanek
Kimberly Ruka

Our Vision of the Future

Expanded Partnerships

The Food Pantry will provide nutrition and education classes through partnerships with local banks, Methodist Wesley Nurses, Area Agency on Aging (AAA), Bastrop Long Term Recovery, Bastrop County Cares, and the Bastrop extension office. These community partners will offer classes that address the root causes of poverty and health disparities by helping clients to increase their income, and budget better, manage their diabetes or high blood pressure, and job-seeking assistance like building resumes and interview preparation. This new facility will enhance partnerships with local non-profits that need space to meet with our neighbors in need. It will also allow the Food Pantry to share more food with the smaller food pantries in the county that need our support. This will enhance food access for the entire county.

Nutrition & Financial Education & Wellness

The remodel of the Fayette St. building will transition the current inventory space into a flex space that will house a computer lab and a small commercial kitchen. The Food Pantry staff and community partners will use the commercial kitchen for cooking and nutrition demonstrations and other health and wellness-related workshops. This is especially beneficial for the Food Pantry’s senior program participants, who benefit from nutrition-based options to manage their hypertension and diabetes. The space will also include a computer lab for our community partners to host workshops on topics like job readiness, resume and job interview prep, budgeting and financial literacy, and how to avoid scams.

Increased Storage & Streamlines Inventory

The new inventory space would include walk-in freezers and refrigerators, and dry storage as well as a large sorting room for donations to come through. On top of being a more efficient system, there will be double the space for food storage and sorting. By increasing the size of the space for the inventory the Food Pantry will be able to collect and store food to be a food hub for local food pantries that need our support.

Teaching Garden

The space will include an outdoor teaching garden where the Food Pantry will grow herbs and vegetables and provide opportunities for education about how to make your own home garden in Central Texas.

Donate Download the Pledge Form

History of Impact

In the last four years, the Food Pantry has seen the largest increase in requests for food and support services from their neighbors.

In 2020

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3,268

individuals received food and support services

In 2023

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5,609

individuals received food and support services

Since 2016, we have served

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16,469

unique individuals

A Look Back

“You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.” -Maya Angelou

1987

Founded by Jewell Hodges and located on 1002 Jefferson Street

1990

Moved to its current locationon 1201 Pine Street

1995

The Jewell Hodges Support Center building was opened for seniors

2001

Tresha Silva became the Executive Director of the Food Pantry

2011

The Food Pantry built the current main office off the Fayette Street side of the property and assisted their neighbors impacted by the historic Labor Day fires

2015

The Central Texas Food Bank was certified as a healthy food pantry

2017

The Central Texas Food Bank named Tresha Silva a Hunger Hero

2018

The Food Pantry started the NIBBLES Backpack program started with four schools and 142 students

2020

The Food Pantry responded to the needs of seniors in the county and partnered with several non-profits to deliver food to homebound seniors and was honored by Central Texas for thework they did during the pandemic.

2022-2025

The capital campaign began in 2022. In 2023 they raised 80% of the project budget. In 2024 they will break ground and in 2025 the new building will be complete!