Frogs Feed the Community Through Local Pantry

Faith, Hope & Love Church on Berry Street is both a familial legacy and an extension of goodwill into the Fort Worth community. It’s also become a place where several TCU students are learning the valuable lessons taught through service.  

“Volunteering has taught me empathy, gratitude and the value of service — lessons that go beyond the classroom and prepare me to be a more compassionate and responsible person in the world,” Yana Laredo said.  

The senior biology major has volunteered consistently at the church’s food pantry over the last year. She found the opportunity through Leadership & Experiential Learning, a Student Affairs program at TCU.  

“We are constantly looking for volunteer opportunities for students to take part in,” TCU’s Bryan Partika, program coordinator, said. “Faith, Hope & Love’s proximity to campus and service-oriented mission – together with how organized Ronnie is – makes this a great partner fit for our office.”  

Pastor Ronnie Gonzalez, who runs the church with his wife, Sef, reached out to Partika and told him about their needs. Gonzalez’s grandfather had operated the church from 1976 until the start of the pandemic, when it closed its doors. Gonzalez and his wife returned to Fort Worth from their traveling ministry and decided to revitalize the church and serve the community by opening a food pantry. 

“We both grew up in that church,” Gonzalez said. “Seeing it vacant, I thought it could be a place where we could go in and bring new life to it.” 

What started as a mobile pantry in June 2023 soon grew to an on-site pantry with the help of a grant from a local ministry.  

As its popularity grew, so did the need for volunteers. Because the church wasn’t yet operational and didn’t have a congregation of helpers, Gonzalez contacted Partika and found volunteers and found students like Brooke Preston ’22, a second-year doctoral student in experimental psychology who was a John V. Roach Honors student as an undergraduate. The pantry operates one Saturday a month with a “no questions asked” policy, which has particularly resonated with Preston.  

“One weekend when we were passing out food, a relative of mine came through the line,” she said. “People don’t have to worry about feeling judged or pitied when they come to pick up food, like they might feel in other situations. They just get what they need and are always treated with respect.” 

Gonzalez speaks highly of Preston and Laredo, citing their devotion to helping at the pantry, even in the summer or when they’re not receiving school credit. 

“The highest form of service is when you’re not getting seen or getting recognition, and yet you do it anyway,” Gonzalez said. “We couldn’t serve the 75 to 100 families per month without them.”  

Laredo said one of her favorite parts about volunteering with pantry is the sense of community she has experienced with the Gonzalez family. She has also found fulfillment in directly helping those in need. 

“Being able to see the gratitude on people’s faces and knowing I’m making a positive impact in their lives is truly a highlight of my experience,” she said. 

Laredo said she and Preston have found that volunteering helps them connect and build community and relationships. 

“It’s more than just giving time,” Laredo said. “It’s about understanding the challenges others face and offering support in a way that creates hope and builds relationships.”  

To learn more about the Faith, Hope & Love pantry and to learn about donating or volunteering, visit their website.