The Faith to Follow Through
Cornerstone NCT is a perfect example of the great things that can happen when you have the faith to follow through on your instinct to help others in your community.
One Sunday, our founder, Jennifer Lutes, was sitting in church listening to a bold message from the pulpit: Don’t be afraid of what the Lord is asking you to do. The message stuck with her.
Later that summer, after Jen heard multiple times that the food pantry in her Prosper community couldn’t keep enough food on the shelves, she kept thinking about the parents who were struggling to make ends meet. The thought crossed her mind again as she took her daughter shopping for school clothes and recalled this simple ritual as one of her favorite back-to-school memories. Because for many Neighbors, these back-to-school basics are things they simply can’t afford. She knew it was time to take action.
Taking the First Steps
She started by calling her church, asking what they thought about starting a clothes closet. They loved the idea, and even set up several tours of nonprofits in the area to gain more insight. One of them happened to be Cornerstone Assistance Network of Fort Worth. After talking with the staff there, they reinforced an important point that was already on Jen’s mind — if you’re only addressing the symptoms of need by giving out money and goods, you’re not solving the problem. They left knowing that the community assistance they would eventually offer would have to take a holistic approach.
Launching the Concept in Prosper
The team refined their objectives and asked Cornerstone Fort Worth about the possibility of opening a Prosper location. Instead, Cornerstone Fort Worth invited the new organization to become an affiliate. This would allow the new group to use the established Cornerstone name and tap into their advice and expertise while establishing a new independent 501(c)3 to serve Prosper and the surrounding communities.
Sharing Our Vision
Our vision is to see the empowered empowering others.
Working Our Mission
Our mission is to empower our Neighbors in need through relationships and comprehensive services to impact current and future generations.