Hurst nonprofit will close unless an affordable location is found
Juju Taylor is living on the streets for now, but he sees a nonprofit called The Awareness Project as his lifeline to a better future of finding employment and getting his life back on track.
Now, Taylor and others are worried about the future of the Awareness Project, at 364 E. Pipeline Road in a former grocery store at the Bellaire Shopping Center in south Hurst, as it will likely close this summer with increasing rent and less funding coming in.
“It’s a blessing you know because if it wasn’t for this, I’d be outside. I’d be hot. I’d probably be doing something I shouldn’t be doing,” Taylor said.
Ryan Martinez, president and co-founder of the Awareness Project, said he will have to shut down the nonprofit he worked hard to create later unless he finds a location with lower rent.
He learned last month that the landlord wanted him to sign a three year lease.
Martinez said his expenses are around $10,000 a month with $7,500 in rent and the rest for bills.
“We’re at this point where I don’t know what will save the awareness project, whether it needs to stay in this building, this space that’s not owned by us, or if there’s another opportunity somewhere else, like with a partner organization with some space, or a church with some space, I’m thinking that’s probably where we need to go, Maybe eventually own our own place,” Martinez said.
Martinez said he is on a month-to-month lease for now, and that committing to a three-year lease is difficult, given the uncertainty of funding to keep the nonprofit going.
“Funding is down everywhere,” he said.
“No matter how many grant requests we put out there, a lot of the answers are no.”
Martinez lost his partner, Stanley Heard, who died in December. Heard helped to run an apothecary called The Green Bodega that specialized in selling herbs and high end clothing. Fifty percent of the profits helped support The Awareness Project.
Martinez said he had to close the apothecary and restructure the nonprofit after his partner’s death.
What is The Awareness Project
The Awareness Project, which opened in 2016, provides clothing, a food pantry, rent assistance, help with job searches and other services for those in need, including refugee families, senior citizens and the homeless.
The nonprofit operates Dapper Inc., a thrift store with clothing and household items. The Dapper Café is another component of the Awareness Project where people can get a hot meal or a latte. It operates on the pay it forward concept.
Proceeds from the thrift store and the café help fund the Awareness Project, but it’s not enough to make ends meet, Martinez said.
More people needing help
Last year, The Awareness Project served 3,330 people, and that number is increasing as the nonprofit is on track to serve 4,500 or more if can remain open through the end of the year, Martinez said.
The Awareness Project is also absorbing clients from Mission Central, another nonprofit in Hurst that closed last year because of dwindling funds and higher operating costs.
The Awareness Project serves a broad group of people, including the homeless, senior citizens, families and refugees from Guatemala, Honduras and Haiti, Martinez said.
The Awareness Project is in a Qualified Census Tract, meaning many are below the poverty line, Martinez said.
“We know that the majority of people are struggling here, and we know this is the perfect place to be,” he said.
Martinez said The Awareness Project is helping to address the increasing need for assistance since Mission Central closed its doors.
“We’re feeding a lot more. We’re clothing a lot more. We’re helping people find transportation to and from jobs a lot more. We have a ton of volunteers, and we’re growing our volunteers. We have lots of people helping every single day, which is awesome.”
Another important program involves youth empowerment in which young people learn about customer service and job skills by helping out in the kitchen and learning to serve customers.
The teenagers and young adults who volunteer at The Awareness Project were also upset about the likelihood that the nonprofit will close.
Theo Gonzalez, 14, said he came to the Awareness Project about a year and a half ago and learned skills such as running the cash register and serving food.
He said the Awareness Project provided a welcoming atmosphere.
“I felt like I could be myself here. I felt like I could connect with those who have similarities,” he said.
Another volunteer, Alex Walker, 16, said he was walking to the Planet Fitness next door to work out when he saw the sign for the Awareness Project and decided to stop in to see what the nonprofit had to offer. That was in December of 2023.
Walker said his volunteering led to him getting a job at Little Caesar’s working in the kitchen.
Volunteering helped Walker stay on track and learn how to be disciplined with his work.
“When I first heard that the Awareness Project may close, I was sad because these people are like family and this place is like a second home to me,” Walker said.
“But right now, I’m very optimistic … I’m seeing how people really show up and really do care about the space.”
Meanwhile, Taylor said The Awareness Project gave him a chance to show off his cooking skills, and he hopes to open a restaurant in the future.
Taylor, 27, said he recently got a job cooking at night because of what he learned at the Awareness Project.
He first heard about the Awareness Project talking to kids at a nearby basketball court.
“A lot of kids told me about Ryan and about what he does,” Taylor said. “Ryan helps a lot of people, so I try to do the best that I can with my part,” he said.
Natalie Smith said she gained skills as a barista when she learned how to craft lattes and other drinks in the Dapper Café.
“I just love being here because it’s a big community,” Smith said.
She described how the atmosphere is welcoming and accepting of everyone who comes for help or to eat at the cafe
Smith said she doesn’t want to lose The Awareness Project.
“When I came here today and saw the closing sign, honestly, it took a lot not to cry,” she said.
“This place has done a lot for me. I’ve met so many people, and I’ve learned a lot of skills. When I go to get a job, I’m going to have an easier time of it.”
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 2:06 PM.