by PegNews wire

Frisco Family Services Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide social services to individuals and families in need.

Members of Frisco Cycling Club met with Jill Cumnock, executive director of Frisco Family Services Center, and Blake Ball, food pantry manager, to learn more about the center and confirm sponsorship of their food pantry’s breakfast shelf area.

“We’ve been working with the FFSC for several years now and wanted to solidify our commitment to an important section in the pantry that needs attention on an ongoing basis,” said Geoffrey Davis, president of Frisco Cycling Club. “Sponsoring the breakfast shelves gives us the opportunity to provide boxed and hot cereals and other nutritious food to help get families started for the day.”

The Frisco Family Services Center is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide social services to individuals and families in need and assist them in becoming productive members of the Frisco community. With the current economic crisis, Frisco has witnessed a growing population of families who are experiencing devastating financial difficulties. Loss of employment, medical issues, death, and divorce are also contributing factors to the rise of families and individuals needing assistance. The FFSC provides services to individuals and families that live in Frisco or Frisco ISD.

“There’s been an increase of about 52% in the number of new clients this year compared to last,” Cumnock said. “And due to unfortunate circumstances, some of our previous donors have become clients now themselves.”

The FFSC expects to service more than 1,800 families and provide approximately 60,000 pounds of food per month over the 2009 holiday season. Proceeds from the operation of its Frisco Resale store as well as various local schools, churches, clubs, organizations, grocery stores, and individuals donate and sponsor portions of the food pantry. However, the FFSC also has to regularly purchase perishables from the North Texas Food Bank in order to keep dairy, eggs, meat, and vegetables available for families, which currently costs about $12,000 a month. The FFSC has also partnered with the City of Frisco and other supporters to establish a community garden located at First Street and Ash Drive in downtown Historic Frisco on a quarter acre of land adjacent to a city park in order to promote community involvement and provide fresh fruits and vegetables to the clients of the agency.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released a study on “food security,” the ability of a family to adequately feed itself, and the results ranked Texas as second in the nation for food insecurity. There continues to be tremendous need for volunteers and year-round support of the programs provided by the Frisco Family Services Center.

“More people need help and fewer are able to give,” Cumnock said.

“Frisco Cycling Club is also partnering with several local businesses to have convenient ‘drop-off zones’ for any community donations of boxed cold or hot cereal, granola bars, and cereal bars for the FFSC pantry breakfast shelves,” Davis said. Currently, collection boxes are located at: Richardson Bike Mart on Preston Road, Lochrann’s Irish Pub on Main Street at Frisco Square, Bullitt Chiropractic on Preston Road near Stonebrook Parkway, It’s A Grind Coffee Shop at the Shops at Starwood on Lebanon, and Frisco Family Health Market on Preston Road.

For more information about the Frisco Family Services Center, visit their website or call 972-335-9495/fax 972-335-9487.

To contact Frisco Cycling Club, visit www.friscocycling.com.

Source: Frisco Cycling Club

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