Martha Doleshal: Combating Food Insecurity at Pleasant Grove Food Pantry
Martha is the president of the Pleasant Grove Food Pantry. She also served as a member of the steering committee which led to the pantry’s formation in 2010. For Martha, coordinating volunteers and managing the logistics of regular food distribution is a calling deeply rooted in her family’s legacy of community service. Her maternal grandmother, she says, is her inspiration. “She was always giving—she made sure that everyone had enough food to eat.”
Rescue Her: Putting a Stop to Human Trafficking and Helping Women Thrive
Rescue Her is the only organization outside of Tarrant County providing 24/7 crisis response services specifically for adult survivors of trafficking. Most of the women they help have recently left exploitive situations (typically within the past 72 hours), or are trying to leave. Their 24-hour hotline receives calls from local law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Trafficking Hotline, area hospitals, concerned individuals, and victims themselves. And when that call comes in they move immediately to provide the practical and emotional support needed for survival and a fresh start.
Don’t Forget to Feed Me: A Food Bank for Pets
Many pet owners in North Texas are regularly faced with the difficult decision to either feed their pets or feed themselves. Natural disaster, job loss, illness, fixed incomes, and other situations can lead to having to make the heartbreaking choice to let go of a beloved pet. However, Don’t Forget to Feed Me is helping provide these pet owners with food for their animals and, more importantly, giving them a chance to stay together.