Crossroads Community Services

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” 

We’ve all heard this proverb at some point in our lives. The saying has its roots in the writings of the Jewish philosopher Maimonides, who in the 12th Century described how giving the gift of self-sufficiency was the highest form of charitable giving. Over time, the imagery of fish and fishing came to signify the difference between meeting an individual’s short-term needs and positioning them for long-term stability. Though some modern observers tend to overemphasize one form of giving over the other, most of us can agree that financial stability is only possible when the basic needs of individuals are met. 

At Crossroads, our path is to help people move from food crisis to stability and security. Addressing their needs for today, tomorrow, and a lifetime is how individuals can overcome the challenges of poverty.

We cannot say this enough: access to healthy, nutritious food should be a basic human right for every individual. We believe that when people can consistently access the food they need to nourish their bodies, they can transition out of crisis and make long-term goals work toward a brighter future. In other words, food security is at the core of how individuals, families, and communities thrive.

A layoff, a medical emergency, an increase in rent: these are just some of the reasons why many of our shoppers visit our Community Market for the very first time. Though they might have been managing their food crisis by skipping meals or eating less nutritious food, families who experience a household emergency can suddenly fall into an unmanageable crisis.

Every shopper who walks through our doors is warmly welcomed and encouraged to return every month. We take the time to get to know them and better understand the set of challenges they’re facing.

Food resource coaches help shoppers learn how to optimally utilize food benefits, if eligible, and maximize their monthly Market visits. Consistency is key. Once their basic need for food is met, families can stabilize and focus on other life expenses like rent, medical care, or much-needed car repairs. 

Shoppers have the opportunity to receive nutrition coaching designed to complement the monthly appointments. We encourage shoppers to set goals around increasing nutritious food consumption and how to prepare food in a healthier way. More than 1-in-3 of our shoppers report that they are trying to manage chronic illnesses such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Nutrition coaching can help families better manage, and even improve, their health outcomes.

Shoppers who are ready to take steps to reach financial security are referred to our on-site partners, WiNGS, for financial coaching. 

We help shoppers plan for their future by equipping them with the financial education to experience self-sufficiency. In other words, we not only teach our shoppers how to fish, we teach them how to cast a line into their future, too. 

“Crossroads is very important to my family,” says Wendy, one of our shoppers and regular volunteers. She dreams for her family to all be together, and she “dreams of successful careers for my children.”

Our vision to strengthen families by building nutrition-stable communities starts with equitable food access even during a health crisis. This Fall, we are excited to announce plans to expand our footprint in southern Dallas with a second Community Market at RedBird Mall.

Building upon the work we're already doing through our revolutionized food distribution model, the Community Market at RedBird will be an innovative "nutrition pharmacy. To us, “food is medicine,” and this new concept will address household food insecurity and improve the health outcomes of referred patients with chronic health conditions. These services will be available at no cost, and additional supportive services will be offered to ensure food and financial stability.

This North Texas Giving Day we invite you to make a gift of support to help more families in Dallas, Ellis, and Navarro counties access healthy, nutritious food. By meeting this basic need in our communities, we are creating more opportunities for families to flourish and thrive. 

Together, we can give a man a fish, teach a man to fish, AND teach a man to cast a line into their future. To do this, it takes all of us, as a village, to make the vision of nutrition-stable communities a reality.