Lewisville, Texas – In an innovative move designed to streamline access to social services for its citizens, the City of Lewisville is orchestrating an alliance among several nonprofit organizations. The joint venture, named Serve Lewisville, will see these groups coalesce under a single roof, significantly simplifying the process for those in need of support.
Serve Lewisville to unite several nonprofits into one hub starting July 10
Scheduled to inaugurate its operations on July 10th, Serve Lewisville is set to revolutionize service delivery in the city.
“Being able to have a resident come in the door, that’s maybe only two minutes from their home, instead of having to drive across the lake, that’s going to be helpful for them,” said Ashleigh Feryan, the neighborhood services manager for the City of Lewisville, according to CBS Texas.
The geographical distribution of service providers has previously been a considerable hurdle for those in need. Balancing work schedules, coordinating transportation, and arranging childcare merely to secure an appointment has proven onerous for many.
“They’re in Denton or in other cities, so they provide services to Lewisville residents, but they are not officed here,” Feryan said.
Situated at the heart of Lewisville, Serve Lewisville is primed to surmount these challenges by centralizing various organizations within the same edifice. This will empower citizens to secure an array of services – from mental health assistance to fresh food supplies to aid for children and adolescents – all within a single location.
Serve Lewisville will be hub for at least six nonprofits from North Texas
Six distinguished nonprofits are set to establish their operations within the Serve Lewisville building. These include the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, the Mission Market Food Pantry, MHMR of Tarrant County, Denton County MHMR, and the Lewisville CoCare Team.
The CEO and President of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Tarrant County, Daphne Barlow Stigliano, hailed the opening of the new facility as an unparalleled opportunity.
“Opening this office is an incredible opportunity for us because we can extend our reach into a new community and really increase our capacity to serve more kids and teens at Boys and Girls Club,” said Daphne Barlow Stigliano.
Serve Lewisville will operate similarly to the already proven initiative Serve Denton
The visionary concept of Serve Lewisville draws inspiration from Serve Denton, a successful initiative that has blossomed into a five-acre campus housing a network of 22 nonprofit organizations.
“Last year, they served over 31,000 people, just at our Serve Denton site,” said Kristen Gramling, who works as the director of operations for both Serve Denton and Serve Lewisville.
Interest in the establishment of nonprofit centers, akin to Serve Lewisville, has been kindled among various North Texas cities. This shared-space concept not only offers the participating organizations the advantage of reduced rent and overhead costs but also fosters a collaborative environment that benefits the wider community.
“What’s been most helpful or beneficial is with the money saved by our partner agencies, that they’re to hire more staff to provide more services, they’re able to put more money towards their services to help more people in need,” Gramling said.
Serve Lewisville is gearing up to officially commence its operations with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 20 at 9 a.m. An open invitation has been extended to the public, with an option to RSVP.
However, this is merely the first stride in a much larger journey. Dubbed as ‘Phase One’, the project anticipates that the building will reach full occupancy within a few months of its inauguration, once all current nonprofit partners have relocated.
The project’s subsequent phase entails the construction of a brand-new, two-story facility in the immediate vicinity, further expanding its capabilities.
“We want this to be a respectful, safe place for everybody that comes,” Gramling said. “We just ultimately want it to be in service to those in need.”
