There is a hunger issue in America. One out of 6 children suffers from hunger.
On April 1, 2008, Cheryl “Action” Jackson, decided to be a part of the solution for her home state of Texas. As a little girl, her mother, Minnie Ewing, often wondered if and when she would receive her next meal. She painted the picture to Jackson of her grandmother walking for miles to work two jobs to provide food and shelter for their family. Jackson’s parents raised seven children. It seemed as though the doors to her home revolved like a store as she watched her parents distribute food, clothes, and most importantly their time and prayers to the community and members of their congregation. Minnie’s Food Pantry continues the family legacy that was taught to Jackson and feeding the hungry is now the fabric of her family.
Although Jackson was told that there were no hungry people in Plano, Texas she went against the grain and the rest is now history. The thought of opening a food pantry in one of Dallas’ most affluent cities seemed odd. But with the economy at the beginning of a serious down turn, Minnie’s Food Pantry found themselves right where they needed to be. With items from Cheryl’s personal home pantry, and that of her Director of Operations, Erica Simon, Minnie’s Food Pantry was established. Her son, Robert Jackson, found the first family to serve and on the organizations first day they fed three families. Within the first month Minnie’s Food Pantry had already served 52 families!
Once word began to spread about how Minnie’s Food Pantry served people, the grass roots of this organization has blossomed into one of the leading food pantries in Collin County. To date, Minnie’s Food Pantry has helped feed over 165,000 people and distributed over 3.9 million meals.
The solution was obvious; “If you can’t feed 100 people, then Feed just ONE”. It is now the slogan of Minnie’s Food Pantry. Minnie’s Food Pantry took their slogan Feed Just One, and it made it the vehicle to provide food on tables and smiles on the faces of many hungry kids in the community. “I know what it feels like to be hungry and not know how you’re going to feed your children. I know the feeling of shame you receive by having to go to the government and lose your pride and integrity because you are not able to keep food on the table. It is our mission to provide healthy meals to families without the shame. Together we can reduce hunger and change lives.” Download our mobile app and share with family and friends.