KIDS Helping KIDS: Commissary Drive
The Texas Baptist Children’s Home Commissary has been in existence since the Henna family started TBCH in 1950 with hopes of touching the lives of countless children. Today, 62 years later, the Commissary continues to be a source of full bellies and happy hearts for the residents of TBCH.
The Commissary is a great resource for the residents, providing food, toiletries, household items, and sometimes even offering programs on how to creatively utilize the items.
Unfortunately, right now the Commissary is running low.
The Commissary originally provided all food and everyday items for the residents of TBCH. First, food was purchased directly from distributors. Later, food was purchased at low cost from the Capital Area Food Bank. Keith Dyer, the Executive Director for TBCH, said, “We were purchasing close to a thousand pounds of food each month from the Capital Area Food Bank at something like 13 cents a pound.”
Capital Area Food Bank is not receiving enough support from the local community to sufficiently provide for all of the Austin-area nonprofits that it serves, and the Commissary’s shelves cannot be filled by the food bank alone. Because of this, house parents now have a food budget each month. However, the budget cannot realistically feed 10, sometimes 12, people for an entire month.
The Commissary should be able to successfully offset the cost of food for each of the cottages, but without stocked shelves, this is not possible. Dyer noted, “You have to think about what it takes to feed the 150-200 residents every day.”
In order to help get the shelves of the Commissary stocked full, TBCH will be having a Commissary drive during the month of June. We ask that when you head to the grocery store, you pick up a few extra items*! Then, when you get home, print out a blank can label for you and your children to write messages and draw pictures for the children at TBCH.
Understandably, children are unable to purchase the items for the drive, but we love to see kids helping kids as they are able to. The can labels, which can be attached to any food item, give children at home the opportunity to help provide for and encourage the residents at TBCH.
“The Commissary is a considerable help in lowering the expenditures of food on the TBCH campus,” said Dyer. We would like to see this continue to be a reality; meanwhile, we would like to see kids helping kids have well-balanced meals and hear kind words from other children in the community.
Detailed Commissary Needs List
Printable Set of Can Labels for Coloring
Map of Donation Drop Off Location
For other questions or for more information, please contact Brenda Gilbert at (512) 246-4244.
*Remember to check the expiration date on your donated goods! We aren't able to distribute items that are beyond their expiration dates and would appreciate your double-checking as you collect items for the drive!