CFCommunity Food Pantry In Tool
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About Community Food Pantry In Tool
In 2023, Community Food Pantry in Tool distributed more than 128,000 pounds of food to 1,237 families, representing 3,858 people in the Cedar Creek Lake area. The pantry provides emergency groceries, but it also helps neighbors apply for SNAP, learn to cook with pantry ingredients, and find information about housing, utility, and medical assistance. A donation can support practical help for families facing hunger, as well as additional food and hygiene items for more than 100 seniors each month.
Community Food Pantry in Tool pairs food assistance with hands-on help accessing other resources. Its work with Tool Elementary School and the Cedar Creek Garden Club also brings produce from Miss Fran’s Teaching Garden directly to pantry clients, with more than 1,800 pounds grown since 2022.
Programs
The concrete work this nonprofit runs. Each program may later become a fundable project.
Emergency Food Assistance
Provides staple groceries to individuals and families who need food support.
SNAP Assistance
Helps people in the service area complete applications for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits with assistance from a volunteer Outreach Specialist.
Healthy Cooking Classes
Teaches participants how to prepare meals using ingredients provided by the food pantry, with groceries available to take home.
Senior Program
Provides more than 100 senior citizens with additional hygiene items and food each month.
Utility Support Facilitation
Facilitates supplemental support for utility needs with support from Cedar Creek Lake United Methodist Church, St. Jude Catholic Church, and First Baptist Church of Tool.
Community Resource Assistance
Helps people learn about additional housing, utility, and medical assistance available through state agencies and other community resources.
About this work
Mission
Our mission is to provide the support and resources our neighbors need to live with dignity, stability, and hope. By walking alongside those we serve and exploring available resources together, we help individuals and families access additional support, opening doors to greater stability and opportunity.
Who they serve
Individuals, children, families experiencing hunger, low-income families, single parents, struggling seniors, unemployed people, disabled people, and others in need in the Cedar Creek Lake area of Henderson County, Texas.
Their impact
- In 2023, the pantry received, inventoried, and distributed over 128,000 pounds of food to 1,237 families comprising 3,858 individuals in the Cedar Creek Lake area of Henderson County, Texas.
- Since 2022, Miss Fran’s Teaching Garden has produced over 1,800 pounds of produce for pantry clients.
- Volunteers provided over 7,600 hours of community support in 2026.
- The Senior Program provides additional food and hygiene items to more than 100 senior citizens each month.
How your donation helps
- Purchasing and distributing food to people in need
- Providing food and hygiene items through the Senior Program
- Supporting food assistance for children, adults, and seniors
- Supporting pantry operations through food, monetary, and volunteer contributions
Need help?
How someone in need can access Community Food Pantry In Tool’s services.
People in need can visit the Community Food Pantry in Tool during operating hours, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at 100 South Old Indian Trail, Tool, Texas. They can receive food assistance and speak with volunteers about SNAP and other available community resources. The pantry can be reached at (903) 432-3003 or information@foodpantryintool.org.
Stories
The people behind the work.
In their words
When neighbors help neighbors, lives change.
Food opens the heart’s doors.
Grant support
$78,202 from 2 funders · through 2024 (IRS 990 records).
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $11,153 (2024)Food, Nutrition
- TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FOUNDATION — $688 (2024)DONATIONS TO COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS UNDER "MATCHING GIFTS PROGRAM."
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $12,660 (2023)Human Service
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $12,104 (2022)Human Service
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $14,681 (2021)General Operating
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $12,416 (2020)General Operating
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $8,500 (2019)General Operating
- EAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION — $6,000 (2018)General Operating
Ways to help
Concrete needs and volunteer roles Community Food Pantry In Tool has shared.
Current needs
- Cranberry or grape juice
- Flour and sugar
- Toilet paper
- Shampoo and body wash
- Hand lotion and bar soap
- Toothpaste and toothbrushes
- Dish soap and laundry detergent pods
- Adult disposable underwear and adult bladder pads
- Canned vegetables and canned fruit
- Canned meals such as chili and spaghetti with meatballs
- Spaghetti or pasta sauce
- Egg noodles
- Senior hygiene items including shaving cream, razors, and adult underwear
Volunteer opportunities
- Assist families, seniors, and individuals with identifying community resources
- Help people complete SNAP applications as a volunteer Outreach Specialist
- Support pantry food receipt, inventory, and distribution
- Help with the Miss Fran’s Teaching Garden alongside students, teachers, and community volunteers
- Volunteer on a dependable schedule with a commitment to respecting diversity and the needs of people who are homeless, elderly, or lack resources
Recognition & press
Press & mentions
Partners & funders
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this nonprofit and how its work happens.
How does the pantry’s SNAP assistance work?
A volunteer Outreach Specialist can help people in the service area complete a SNAP application during a personal visit at the pantry.
What does the Senior Program provide?
Each month, the Senior Program provides more than 100 senior citizens with additional food and hygiene items. Donations can be designated for senior needs.
How are healthy cooking classes connected to food assistance?
The pantry shows participants how to prepare meals with the same ingredients it provides. They can sample the food, then take groceries home to try the recipes themselves.
What happens to produce from Miss Fran’s Teaching Garden?
Produce grown through the pantry’s collaboration with Tool Elementary School and the Cedar Creek Garden Club goes directly to pantry clients. The garden also gives elementary students a place to learn.
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