Shining a light on HOPE

Festival helps residents learn about HOPE

The flurry of activity that filled the area beneath the trees in Krugerville’s city park off of U.S. 380 drew area residents to learn more about a nonprofit organization in Aubrey that helps feed and clothe those in need.

HOPE Food and Clothing Ministry, which serves anyone in need who is willing to drive to its facility, was the organization promoted by Ambassador Ministry.

“To spotlight them is the most important thing,” said Eric Rome with Ambassador Ministry out of Cross Roads. “They have an amazing ministry, and they do such amazing work.”

He added that local people know about HOPE, but the organization needs help getting more exposure.

HOPE Vice President Alex Pantazis said having the festival that ran from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday meant so much to the organization.

“We have an incredibly giving community that comes together to help people in need, and we’re just blessed to be a mechanism to be able to do that,” he said. “It sounds so simple to say there’s a community, but boy, I tell you, we’ve got active people in this area that know each other and care and they want to help, and they help, actually do that.”

The organization drew its mission from Matthew 25:35, which speaks about feeding, clothing and welcoming those in need.

HOPE was the victim of a theft of two trailers earlier this year, including the one the organization has used in the past to offer concessions to raise money for its ministry efforts.

“The word got out so much more than it probably would otherwise about us,” Alex said. “We had a tremendous amount of donations out of that as well.”

The organization has also launched hopefood.org, which went live this week. It works with the churches throughout the area.

Alex’s son Avery was with him Saturday, and he said the point of the service is to help people see the value of faith while having their needs met.

Helping nonprofits connect with different churches and decisionmakers is central to Ambassador Ministry’s work, Rome and his fellow representative Chance Dodson said.

Dodson talked about the importance of people from different sects working together to serve others.

Krugerville Mayor Jeff Parrent attended the festival, and he said he was grateful the city could help Ambassador Ministry and HOPE find a good place to hold the event.

“I was talking to one of our Northeast PD officers here a while ago and he wants to get [Scott] Collins, who’s the chief of police at Aubrey ISD and get him involved next time we do this because he’s kind of plugged into a lot of different families who could use the donations and things like that, so it’s only going to get better,” Parrent said about HOPE’s mission.

Parrent added that “there are a lot of great people in these three communities.”

“And there’s also a lot of people in need, and so when we can come together and serve one another, that’s ultimately what God’s plan is for our life,” he said. “Is to share and to serve others.”