Mission possible

Local nonprofit provided 96,000 meals here in 2023

TEXARKANA, Texas — Mission Texarkana is celebrating a milestone as the year comes to an end.

The nonprofit agency provided 96,000 meals to Texarkana residents in 2023. For the year, Mission Texarkana provided 2,000 more meals each month compared to 2022, according to its Facebook page.

Executive Director Cody Howard said the nonprofit saw an upsurge in clients because of price increases at the grocery store.

“The number climbed in 2022, but now we feel the number has peaked in 2023. We are feeding on average over 300 close to 400 meals some days,” Howard said.

Along with meals, Mission Texarkana provides blankets, water, bedding, bicycles and housing.

“Now we are beginning to see families with larger incomes who were able to make it three years ago come in to seek help for the first time, so it is good that we can minister to their needs,” Howard said.

Mission Texarkana’s goal is “for no one in Texarkana to go without food, daily meals and just the things they need,” Howard said.

“Our goal is to just do what God has called us to do at the mission and protect people who are living in homelessness without shelter,” he said.

Howard said the Texarkana community has been a blessing to the nonprofit.

“It seems like the more clients we have coming in, the more donations we receive from the community — Not only monetary donations but donations of frozen foods we can prepare,” he said.

Howard and Program Coordinator Caleb Maloney launched Humble Troll Coffee Roasters in October. It is a job-training program to employ the homeless community. Proceeds benefit the local homeless and impoverished community and Mission Texarkana.

“We can employ the homeless to roast coffee, label it, bag it, market it and even sell it,” Howard said.

Howard said starting in January, the Humble Troll Coffee trailer will be out in the community at least five days a week.

“Our coffee roasting started in 2017. We have been at it for about six years,” Howard said.

In 2017, Mission Texarkana made history by becoming the first coffee roaster in Texarkana, according to the Humble Troll’s website. The branding is inspired by the nickname “trolls,” which is what associates called themselves because of their meeting under a downtown bridge as part of Church Under the Bridge. Howard is pastor of the church.

For more information or to donate, visit Missiontexarkana.org.