The pantry, which serves 300 families each week, will continue its mission, with Friday’s distribution still scheduled to go ahead.
PROSPER, Texas — In Prosper, a tragic fire destroyed one of the only food pantries in the city, Neighbors Nourishing Neighbors, six days ago. But what could have been a devastating blow to the community has become a powerful reminder of the strength of neighbors helping neighbors.
“I went home and I cried,” said Alma Ramirez, one of the volunteers who showed up on Thursday.
The fire, which is believed to have started at a neighboring warehouse, happened on Saturday night. By early Sunday pantry volunteers got their first glimpse of the destruction. With the help of devoted volunteers, the pantry is already looking to the future.
“There are some things that are sealed that we can wipe down,” said Jill Stillman of the pantry. “How do you stop serving families that have food insecurities? You cannot stop,” she said.
Much of the damage to the pantry is smoke and water-related. Executive Director Robert Daleo tells WFAA that the team will have to sort through all of the items to see what is salvageable.
The pantry, which serves 300 families each week, will continue its mission, with Friday’s distribution still scheduled to go ahead.
Alma Ramirez, who once relied on the pantry after losing her own home to a fire over a year ago, now volunteers her time to give back.
“Every time I try to give up, I see [my children’s] faces. No puedo! I can’t…I have to keep going,” she shared, inspiring others to push forward.
“We see the light coming in, this represents hope to me,” said Daleo. “It’s the promise of tomorrow. We’re gonna find a better place,” he said.
The pantry hopes to turn this negative into a positive. Daleo says that the pantry is in a position to expand and hopes that they can make that dream come true. The pantry was first started in the 1980s and incorporated in 2012. The pantry has been at its current site since 2021.
N3 has been serving the Collin County area every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
The food pantry has organized a fire recovery fund to help with the costs of relocation, storage and future plans for the pantry.
