A nonprofit hit by thieves 2 years ago seeks a fresh start in refurbished new space
Volunteers are building shelves and decorating the walls with pages from old books in a former grocery store that is being transformed into a place where anyone can come for a hot meal, get help finding a job or shop for clothing and other essentials.
The Awareness Project, a nonprofit that provides help to the homeless and others in need while raising awarenesss about the environment, is moving from its Bedford location to the former Just Ripe Produce at 364 E. Pipeline Road in Hurst.
Ryan Martinez and Stanley Heard, who founded The Awareness Project, said they are ready to share their passion for providing nutritious meals and helping people move forward with their lives while fighting climate change by “upcycling” things that others throw away.
According to upcyclethat.com, upcycling involves taking discarded furniture, clothing or other items and repurposing them. The upcycled items often become more functional and have a greater value.
“So, the goal of this place is obviously to teach people that you can do a lot with very little resources, less money, you know, everything’s upcycled,” Heard said.
The Awareness Project helps people in the Hurst, Euless and Bedford area, Heard said.
“Through our life journey, we realized that homelessness and people with hunger just didn’t look like we thought it did,” Heard said.
Some homeless people in the area are not necessarily on the streets but are “couch surfers, hopping to family member to family member”, Martinez said.
“So, they may not be recognized under a Census or other system,” he said.
Martinez said they want to help alleviate the housing crisis, but their immediate goal is to make sure people, including children, aren’t going to bed hungry and that they get nutritious food.
“We want to make sure we are catering to those who are living under the radar,” Martinez said.
Work is still ongoing to prepare the 10,000 square foot space for the Dapper Cafe, a food pantry, the Dapper Inc. thrift store and the Fresh Start program where people can find help looking for jobs.
The building will also have space for a community center for events, offices, a media center and an area for outdoor seating. The cafe and thrift store will be in the front of the building.
Anyone can come to the Dapper Cafe for a hot, nutritious meal even if they can’t afford it and those who can pay are asked to make a donation which covers the cost of meals for people who can’t afford them, Heard said.
The Awareness Project works closely with another nonprofit, Central Arts, which encouraged them to move to the vacant grocery store. The landlord is also on board with their mission, Heard said.
“We walked in and immediately, we could just see it fit everything that we were trying to do into one puzzle piece,” Martinez said.
Funds are needed
In late 2019, Martinez and Heard suffered a major setback when thieves stole the copper wiring at the Bedford location, causing thousands of dollars in damage and forcing them to close the cafe, a source of revenue for the nonprofit.
They reopened the cafe several months later, but the pandemic hit, and they switched to curbside service, Martinez said.
“It just wasn’t lucrative,” he said.
The pandemic also affected the thrift store and other operations. The cafe and thrift store help The Awareness Project fund its programs to help people find work and get other services.
But they need to raise around $7,500 for plumbing in the restrooms and other costs for renovating the building.
The goal is to open this fall.
Giving back
Volunteers are doing their part to help with building shelves, doors, cleaning and painting.
Barbara du Puy said she heard about The Awareness Project through her church.
She came to the cafe and was hooked after learning about the mission of the nonprofit, she said.
“You see the results when you see someone’s face light up. When they find some much needed food or a piece of clothing that they can afford, it gives more meaning to life than just sending money to something. Money’s always needed, but to be able to get out there and interact with people, it is meaningful,” she said.
John Bowers, minister of Hurst Christian Church, also volunteers at The Awareness Project.
Bowers helps with much of the building because of his experience with programs such as Habitat for Humanity.
Like du Puy, Bowers said he also visited the Dapper Cafe when it was open.
“I could come in here and be around no one and still feel like I was connected and doing stuff in the community,” he said.
Bowers said when the building is open, the church plans on moving its office and providing a free exercise class and a book club.
Martinez and Heard emphasized that The Awareness Project is all about “rescuing” things such as clothing, furniture and other things to help keep costs down but to also help save the environment.
“Every choice that we make, if it doesn’t fall under humanitarian or environmental, then we rethink our choices because it needs to fall into those two things,” Martinez said. “It is also important to show people that they can reduce their carbon footprint.”
“The goal is to set the greatest example that we can for anybody coming behind us,” he said.