Mission Marshall helps eliminate poverty in Marion County
Blake Smith/Jefferson Jimplecute
For Marion and Harrison county residents in need, Mission Marshall is the place to go. Located in Marshall, the pantry prides itself on the ability to make a change.
The pantry got its start in the late 1980’s as The United Churches of Marshall Food Pantry. It then joined Mission Marshall in 2012. Mission Marshall was formed by a group of dedicated citizens in Marshall who wanted to help alleviate poverty in and around the area.
Mission Marshall is a partnering agency of the East Texas Food Bank in Tyler.
“We follow the rules and regulations set up by [East Texas Food Bank] in order to utilize Federal Government goods. This means we follow the Federal guidelines of household size and income regarding the poverty level for our guests to qualify for our services,” Darlene Dotson said. “All guests fill out the required paperwork on their first visit. If someone does not qualify, then we do serve them but explain that we would not be able to serve them again due to the qualifications. Each guest renews his or her paperwork once a year to ensure they still qualify. Guests can visit the Pantry once a calendar month. We abide by first come first served. One of our most important rules is that we treat everyone with dignity and respect.”
The pantry offers several food items such as fresh eggs, milk, butter, and a variety of canned goods. Mission Marshall also offers personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, and conditioner for all types of hair and feminine hygiene products.
The most popular pantry items include canned peaches, canned green beans, dry pasta, rice, dry pinto beans, cereal, and various soups.
Mission Marshall is a client choice pantry, so the facilities are set up like a grocery store. Volunteers help with a number of tasks like helping guests’ shop, keeping the shelves stocked and helping bag fresh produce in the warehouse.
Although all items are greatly appreciated, the pantry commonly receives restaurant-sized items that they cannot repackage. However, this should not discourage members of the community to volunteer. Mission Marshall is always in need of both monetary and food items.
“We are also in need of volunteers to help during operating hours. Although we have church volunteers, we need additional volunteers to ensure the pantry can serve the guests in a timely and efficient manner,” Dotson said.
For those interested in donating to the pantry, Mission Marshall accepts food items during pantry hours. Monetary donations can be mailed to their direct location at 2109 S Washington Ave. Marshall, TX 75670 or P.O. Box 1601, Marshall, TX 75671. Donations can also be made electronically through their website.
Monetary donations are used to purchase from local grocery stores any items the pantry may run out of during the week. Monetary donations are also used to cost share food items from the East Texas Food Bank.
The pantry is open on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. The pantry also offers remote distributions on the second Thursday of each month at Woodlawn Baptist Church from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
In addition to their in-house services, the pantry offers an order ahead service on Mondays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The service gives guests the opportunity to go to their website, choose their grocery items and pick them up at their most convenient time.
Mission Marshall is located at 2109 S. Washington Ave, Marshall, Texas. To stay connected with Mission Marshall, follow them on Facebook or visit www.missionmarshall.org. In addition to offering food and personal care items, the pantry also aids its guests in various resources such as housing, utility bills, health resources, dental resources, veteran resources, mental health resources, etc.