Sharing the Harvest supplies hope in the Highland Lakes
Community members shop during a food distribution day at the pantry in Kingsland on Thursday, July 23. Staff photo by Maci Cottingham.
For many families, a trip to Sharing the Harvest can mean more than filling a grocery cart. It can mean leaving with groceries for the week, diapers for a baby, food for the family dog and the reassurance that someone in the community cares.
At the Kingsland nonprofit, located at 2480 Rose Hill Drive, visitors aren’t handed a pre-packed box of food. Instead, they shop. They browse shelves lined with canned goods, refrigerators stocked with fresh items and other pantry staples, selecting the foods their families will actually use. The client-choice model not only reduces food waste but also offers something equally valuable, dignity.
“It’s important to us that people have choices,” Executive Director Cynthia Green told DailyTrib. “It doesn’t matter to me who you are or what you do, we will help you. We are here to lift you up.”
Green never expected to become executive director. When the opportunity unexpectedly came her way, she embraced it and has dedicated herself to making sure the pantry serves anyone who needs help.
She describes Sharing the Harvest as a “faith-inspired” organization, but not one affiliated with a particular church or denomination.
“We are a faith-inspired organization, not a faith-based organization,” Green said. “We’re not one denomination.”
Sharing the Harvest operates its food pantry on Mondays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The nonprofit partners with the Central Texas Food Bank, a member of the Feeding America network, along with H-E-B, Walmart and other community partners to keep its shelves stocked.
On pantry days, volunteers greet visitors in the front office before handing them a ticket and, when it’s their turn, a shopping cart. Volunteers walk alongside each shopper, helping them select the foods and household items that best fit their family’s needs.
Green recalled one young girl who burst into tears of excitement after spotting frozen French fries in the pantry. Her family had been unable to afford them while stretching a tight budget, making the simple treat feel like a luxury.
“There wasn’t a dry eye in that room,” Green said.
Before families leave, volunteers load groceries into their vehicles and make sure they receive other essentials they may need, including clothing, diapers, baby supplies and even fans.
Sharing the Harvest serves an average of 284 families, or about 1,200 individuals, each week. Its outreach extends beyond feeding people. The nonprofit also distributes about 1,000 pounds of dog food and 600 pounds of cat food each week.
Keeping the pantry stocked is a constant challenge. Green said meat remains one of the organization’s greatest needs, and Sharing the Harvest is looking for more volunteers willing to travel to grocery stores in communities such as Liberty Hill and Leander for pick ups. Volunteers also carefully monitor inventory, while the organization’s garden supplements the pantry with fresh vegetables when weather and growing conditions cooperate.
Local partnerships are essential to that effort. Organizations such as Joshua House regularly provide volunteers and collaborate with Sharing the Harvest to support its mission.
“They do a lot. They are always here volunteering,” Green said.
Looking ahead, Green is working on expansions to the organization’s current facility to include a classroom space where community members can learn budgeting, financial literacy, job readiness and other life skills.
“We have a lot of opportunity for growth for implementing programs that are a hand up, not a hand out,” Green said.
Upcoming Events
- Back to School/Fill the Backpack – Aug. 11, 4-7 p.m.
- Nutritional Facts: A Four-Part Series – Tuesdays from Aug. 4-25, 10-11 a.m.
- Breast Ultrasound Screening – Oct. 2-3. Register at www.herscan.com.
- Hill Country Mah Jongg – Oct. 6, 8 a.m.