MetroCrest asks Coppell for $61,625 amid rising demand and food-bank shortfalls

Coppell — MetroCrest Services CEO Tracy Eubanks told the Coppell City Council on May 27 that the nonprofit is seeing sharply higher demand for emergency food and housing assistance and has requested an additional $61,625 from Coppell for fiscal 2025'26.

Eubanks said MetroCrest served about 24,000 individuals in the previous year and is on pace to reach 28,000 this year; he said the agency is projecting further increases and that the request to the city is meant to prevent service disruptions while the nonprofit pursues new revenue strategies. "We are unfortunately on pace to serve 28,000 people this year," Eubanks said.

Eubanks outlined two significant headwinds: a potential reduction in food distributed by the North Texas Food Bank and a drop in private (non-government) donations. MetroCrest receives roughly 90% of its pantry food from the North Texas Food Bank; Eubanks said the food bank is projected to lose roughly $9 million in USDA funding and that MetroCrest could lose as much as a million pounds of food supply, which he said would represent more than $1.5 million in value. "We could lose a million pounds of food," Eubanks said.

The nonprofit also reported a roughly 20% decline in private donations since January, a shortfall Eubanks said is roughly $350,000 year-to-date for the agency. MetroCrest is using reserve funds, tightening expenses, maximizing resale revenue, launching a "Stock the Shelf" campaign, and seeking more collaborative partnerships to mitigate the shortfall while asking municipal partners for interim assistance.

In Coppell specifically, MetroCrest reported serving 742 city residents in fiscal 2023'24 and said it is on pace to serve about 862; staff presented a FY26 planning assumption of a 4% increase for Coppell residents but noted that if demand mirrors current regional trends the city could see roughly 1,000 Coppell residents using MetroCrest services in a year.

Eubanks asked council to consider the additional $61,625 in the city's FY26 budget to cover increased demand and to minimize the risk of service interruptions as MetroCrest navigates funding uncertainty. The council did not take an immediate vote on the request at the meeting; city staff received MetroCrest's formal request for consideration during the budget process.

Eubanks also reviewed MetroCrest's service model, partners and new programs, including a teaching kitchen, mobile pantry, health-care navigation and on-site partnerships with Parkland Health and local education providers.

Council members praised MetroCrest's work and urged continued engagement with the city's budget process as staff evaluates the nonprofit's request.