Network of Community Ministries reports rising demand: nearly 30,000 people served last fiscal year, food distribution surges

The Network of Community Ministries (Network) updated the Richardson City Council on annual operations, reporting service volume, growth in food distribution and new stabilization and mental-health programs that leaders said respond to continued demand.

Abby Kaufman, president and CEO of the Network, told the council the agency served 29,673 individuals in the most recent fiscal year (about 5,100 households) and that the organization recorded a 14.5% increase in services provided even as the number of households served fell about 6.5% year over year. Kaufman described the client base as diverse, noting 36 primary languages and residents from 94 countries.

Kaufman said food distribution remains the highest-volume service: she cited more than 3.6 million pounds of food distributed in a recent fiscal year and that, as of February 2025, the Network had distributed about 3.3 million pounds compared with 2.38 million at the same point the prior year. The organization also reported a record year for the mobile market (about 200,000 meals distributed) and nearly 18,000 snack packs placed in schools through the Big Meals for Little Kids program.

Kaufman described stabilization and mental-health programming that aims to move neighbors from short-term assistance toward employment and housing stability. She said the Network's stabilization program served 1,964 unique neighbors last fiscal year and that a mental-health clinic staffed with therapists — added in late 2023 and expanded in February 2024 — served 355 neighbors last fiscal year. Kaufman highlighted a partnership fund, the Pat Doherty Memorial Fund, which last year disbursed about $11,000 in continuing-education assistance to support credentialing for clients returning to the workforce.

Kaufman described the Network's funding mix as broad and noted it does not rely heavily on any single source; she said the Network does not take most federal grants except Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds administered through FEMA. The organization said it distributed about $168,659 in client assistance to date in the current fiscal year and that rental-assistance demand remained high while federally funded rental-assistance streams were paused.

Board chair Marta Gomez Fry and staff noted volunteer capacity: the Network reported about 850 unique volunteers providing more than 30,000 hours last year and said 92 cents of every dollar raised went to program services, per the organization's audit and Form 990 accessible on its website.

Councilmembers thanked Network leaders and asked about service trends and potential program expansions. Kaufman said the Network's Continuous Quality Improvement Committee is focused on refining current operations (for example, warehouse flow and appointment systems for the community market) before adding new service pillars; she said possible near-term priorities include more capacity for senior services and expanded food-market operations.

Kaufman closed by noting the organization will mark its 40th anniversary this year and described ongoing partnerships with the city during emergencies, including the May 28 storm response, boil-water distributions and a recent appointment as a disaster resource center that hosted FEMA personnel for about 90 days.