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(GRAHAM FOOD PANTRY | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO) The Graham Food Pantry reopened following renovations to serve its clients. Shown from left to right are Graham Crisis Center staff Megan Miles, Stormy Hardin, Shylee Winder and Cassandra Barraza.
Following renovations to expand multiple aspects of the Graham Crisis Center, the Graham Food Pantry is open again for clients that utilize its services.
The pantry announced Thursday, April 2 that it was reopened following renovations at the facility. The facility is open from 10 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays as well as the first and third Saturdays of each month.
In the interim period during the renovation, the organization held drive-thru food pantry days in front of the facility where pre-selected boxes of food were distributed to clients of the food pantry.
The Graham Crisis Center at 601 Indiana St. is an umbrella nonprofit organization encompassing the Graham Community Food Pantry, Harry’s House women’s shelter, Nifty Thrifty and benevolence fund.
Cassandra Barraza officially took over as the director of Graham Crisis Center in March, but renovations were needed at the facility before that time.
“Nearly immediately after I stepped in, we decided that the food pantry needed to be moved… but that also the Nifty Thrifty was bursting at its seams,” she said. “We did some moving around of some things and we’ve moved the pantry now into what used to be the old furniture room and knocked down most of the walls and opened Nifty up and made it massive and have just given the store the room that it deserves to grow and to flourish.”
Barraza previously served as the manager of the Graham Community Food Pantry in 2022 before moving into her most recent position at the Wichita Falls Area Food Bank as Community Partner Director.
In her position with WFAFB, she oversaw 12 counties and 90-plus food pantries and other programs.
“I know all the rules front and back and up and down and so that has brought a lot of comfort to a lot of people, just knowing that at least this huge section of the organization is going to be very well taken care of,” Barraza said.
The food pantry is seeking volunteers for the third and fourth Mondays of each month and the first and third Saturdays of each month. Visit the Graham Crisis Center office for an application form, or call 940-549-6002.
