Getting to know the organizations we serve
June 6, 2021
McKinney Roots goal this year is to donate 20,000 pounds of organic vegetables and pasture-raised eggs to the food insecure in our community. We could not fulfill that goal if it weren’t for the organizations, non-profits, and churches in our community that distribute our food. Once a week, these organizations pick up dozens of eggs, and freshly picked produce at our farm to feed to the food insecure at their facility.
In this week’s blog, we are focusing on The Samaritan Inn and McKinney First Baptist Church!
The Samaritan Inn is located on a 15-acre property, the Mislead Homestead south of McDonald Street in McKinney. It started 36 years ago between a group of local ministers and citizens who were concerned about the need for a homeless shelter in McKinney. When it started, it was a small, 10-bed shelter for men only. Women and children were given a space at the Inn in 1999. Last year, the Samaritan Inn served 557 unduplicated clients, men, women, and children. One of the biggest ways you can support them is shopping at their Thrift Store, best known as the “Big Purple Building” on University Dr. Visit their website for volunteer opportunities, they are always in need of help. The Samaritan Inn is the largest homeless provider in Collin County.
The McKinney First Baptist Church, located on Erwin Ave in McKinney was organized more than 100 years ago in 1882. They started their Food Pantry ministry 8 years ago with the goal of being a food resource for those in need. They serve 125 families on the 4th Saturday of every month, and about 25 families on the 2nd Saturday of every month. They need commercial shelving, and commercial refrigerators so they can provide and donate fresh food to those in need. Their main goal and focus are to help those in need in our community by giving them real, fresh food. They explained to us that many of their clients have never eaten fresh brown eggs or vegetables that come straight from the ground before. The McKinney First Baptist Church has limited volunteer opportunities currently because of the pandemic, but please contact them if you would like to volunteer.
The food that we donate to The Samaritan Inn and McKinney First Baptist Church is often the first time these citizens have eaten fresh, organic, and locally grown food. By donating the vegetables we grow and fresh eggs our chickens lay to places like this, we can impact the people who eat our food by giving them fresh and healthy meals. The Samaritan Inn feeds their clients hot meals everyday from their kitchen. The food that we provide enables them to serve nutrient dense, healthy foods to their clients.
By working together and sharing the same common goal of providing food for our community, we will slowly chip away at the number of citizens and families in Collin Country that are food insecure.
Please visit the Samaritan Inn and The McKinney First Baptist Church online to find out more of what you can do to help them provide for those in need. Join us next week for information about two more organizations that are helping feed the food insecure in McKinney!