"Sharing God's Bounty" in Midland

The Jubilee Center of Midland (JC of Midland) is a non-profit outreach and food pantry service serving Midland, Texas. The center, now located at 3311 Andrews Highway, opened their doors in February of 2004 to serve 12 families. Now eight years later JC of Midland serves 250-300 families monthly. Their goal is to provide nutritious food, which is not always available through food banks that provide most of the food supplies for the center. JC of Midland does go out to local grocery stores to purchase fresh milk, eggs, and wheat bread at the best prices.

Two pastors of the Episcopal Church started this mission under the name Santa Maria Mission and Food Pantry. The programs at the mission included bilingual worship services, educational classes, school supplies and uniforms to under privileged children, and twice monthly food pantry serving the community. In 2010 the volunteers and pastors called upon the people of the community who had been active in the mission to form an independent Board of Directors to continue the thriving program.

Since that first Saturday in 2004, JC of Midland has grown substantially from the original 12 families served. In 2011 the center served 3,406 families, 10,778 individuals. The last three years, JC of Midland has served a total of 12,274 families, primarily with boxed groceries.

During their food distribution pantry days, JC of Midland sees many elderly clients. These elderly clients are unique, mostly grandmothers, in that they are raising their grandchildren. Many are raising these children on as little as $700-$800 a month, the amount of their social security check. These grandparents are sometimes the most stable and only household available. Last month JC of Midland had a new grandmother come to them for assistance. She is providing for 11 children and grandchildren in her household with her monthly social security check of only $1,100. As Angie Fernandez, the Executive Director of the West Texas Food Bank explains, "I believe that our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents deserve more. The elderly- who've given us so much throughout their lifetime- need access to plenty of good nutritious food."

The JC of Midland serves a vital need in the community. In addition to the food pantry, the Center also provides, and will provide in the future, educational information to clients on cooking, dietary concerns, shopping and budgeting classes. 2012 brought a new partnership with MISD to provide undernourished school children a backpack full of food for the weekend through the "Backpacks for Kids" program.

While receiving some contributions from local churches, JC of Midland is primarily supported by individual donors. The center gets the majority of the food supplies from the West Texas Food Bank, and the remainder from donations and local grocery stores. The Center follows all Food Bank and U.S.D.A. guidelines on distribution of food, and follows all local health and safety ordinances.

The JC of Midland board is committed to continue feeding the hungry of our community. They take this call from God very seriously, and with the Lord's help, pray that they may feed those in need.

"I want you to find the poor right here, right in your own home first. Begin to love there. Be that good news to your own people first. Find out about your next-door neighbors. You see, this is where love begins- at home in the family, with our neighbors, and with our community."      - Mother Teresa