Heart of the City

Heart of the City is a charitable non-profit organization serving the marginalized, vulnerable, and impoverished populations of Denton, Dallas, and Collin Counties. Founded in 2019, Heart of the City's motto is Compassion Lived Out.  Our programs are designed to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of those in our community.

OUR MISSION: To Love Others, to Serve Others, and to Help Others.

OUR VISION: Poverty and hunger don’t just impact the poor. They affect us all. And how we respond is a moral test for every community. Texas ranks first in the nation in the number of families without adequate food. Nearly two million children in our state don’t have enough to eat. In Dallas County alone, 25% of children face food insecurity.

Heart of the City believes that when it comes to community, we’re all in this together. We all have a stake in the future. In the midst of divisions, compassion and service unite us behind the vision of a better tomorrow. Poverty is sometimes visible, sometimes it’s hidden, but it is always there, challenging our sense of justice. Reminding us that no community can be great or healthy if it ignores the poor in its midst. 

Heart of the City is a model for loving, helping, and serving local communities. Our efforts are led by local people, using local resources. This model is designed to be duplicated in every town and city in America. Heart of the City has the potential to be the heart of every city, and an example of what it means to love God and to love others.

We believe that in the richest nation on earth no child should go to bed hungry. No family should be forced to choose between keeping their lights on or feeding their children. Heart of the City works every day to improve the quality of life for the less fortunate, and to make our communities better places to live, work, and raise a family.

OUR PURPOSE: When Heart of the City started five years ago, it had a budget of $57,757 and no employees. It served 70 families at one location. Today, it has a budget of $3.9 million, 12 employees, and it serves over 600 impoverished families each week at five locations. We touched the lives of over 70,000 people in 2024. We mobilized more than 200 volunteers weekly. This volunteer force is made up of men and women who are committed to helping the less fortunate in our community, who want to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and who joyfully and faithfully live out compassion.

 We have also inspired dozens of young people, still in school, to join their parents in serving the poor each week. This volunteer experience is showing these leaders of tomorrow that being part of a community isn’t just about pursuing their own goals; it’s also about serving and caring for others. Through partnering with such outstanding service organizations as the National Charity League and the Young Men’s Service League, Heart of the City has mobilized and motivated young Americans to care for their community.

Our food pantry services are the heartbeat of our work and service in the community. We serve more than 600 families at five locations in Denton County each week, 50 weeks a year. There is no greater basic human need than food. While society may minimize hunger as a serious problem in America, the lack of adequate food impacts health in a variety of ways, increases health costs and mortality rates, and can also affect school performance. 

In addition to its food pantry service partnerships, Heart of the City distributes free clothing through Graham’s Totally Free Clothing store in Lewisville. In 2024, we gave over 80,000 items of clothing and more than 4,000 pairs of shoes to over 10,000 people in need. 

Because Heart of the City believes in lifting people out of poverty, it launched Thrive Academy two years ago. Thrive is giving men and women the skills and abilities, and the experience and confidence, to achieve financial independence and self-sufficiency. Thrive Academy is creating the opportunities for the poor to enhance their self-esteem and to take their place as responsible and productive members of their community. In 2024, 160 students completed 6,434 classroom hours in education and training, career development, financial management, and personal growth.

Heart of the City doesn’t just serve the community; it participates in the communities it serves. We have forged positive partnerships with a diverse assortment of community constituencies, including foundations, elected officials, businesses, civic organizations, first responders, and the religious community. We are an active member of the Lewisville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Flower Mound Chamber of Commerce, and the Highland Village Business Association. 

Heart of the City was honored this year with the Denton County Nonprofit of the Year Award. Ninety-one cents of every dollar given to Heart of the City goes directly into programs and services for our neighbors in need.