A humble outreach project that started in the closet of a church more than 30 years ago continues to grow in unexpected ways.
The Son-Shine Outreach Center, headquartered in Madisonville, supports the surrounding communities and rallies behind those who need assistance. Its footprint expands beyond the city limits, assisting individuals and families from Madison County, Bedias, Centerville, Iola and Leona.
Lisa Wamsley, the center’s director, says need within these rural communities continues to increase. “We all go to the grocery store,” she says. “Prices are up. Gas is up. We serve a lot of people on fixed income that is not going up.”
Wamsley says the Son-Shine Center was serving 400–450 clients through the food pantry in March 2023. They saw a significant increase that August and now assist roughly 1,000 individuals each month.
The food pantry, located in the back of the nonprofit organization’s new 20,000-square-foot warehouse, operates three days each week. Community members enrolled in the program can receive a box of food every 30 days.
Food given to clients comes from the center’s partner, the Brazos Valley Food Bank. Additional donations come from community members who pick up extra items while doing their personal grocery shopping. Local farmers and homesteaders also donate their excess egg supply to the center for distribution. Boxes are assembled based on family size and food allergies.
With summer approaching, the Son-Shine Center asks the community to prepare for additional food needs. According to Wamsley, summer is challenging when children are home from school and parents feel the burden on their grocery bill.
“Ninety percent of our students are on free and reduced lunch,” Wamsley says.
Meals like microwavable ravioli or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are easy for children to make by themselves during the summer.
In addition to the pantry, the center also provides utility, rent, prescription and clothing assistance.
“I don’t know if there is a ‘most vulnerable’ [population],” Wamsley says. “We’re seeing a lot of two-income households whose wages are not going up to match the cost of living. We’re seeing a lot of people who have never come in before. That’s what we’re here for.”
She says the community likes to rally together to assist families through the Son-Shine Center’s various outreach programs. When Wamsley entered her role 18 years ago, things were different.
“We would run out of funds before we ran out of people needing assistance. It was a struggle,” Wamsley remembers. “You hate to turn people away.”
Over the years, the program grew with the help of local faith-based organizations. The Son-Shine Center began to plan for a larger centralized warehouse and purchased the current property as they grew.
“God has a better plan,” Wamsley says, smiling. “A different plan.”
In 2022, a tornado landed in Madisonville, leaving the center’s building unsalvageable. The original five-year plan to build on the new property was expedited. In February 2023, just shy of a year after the storm, the Son-Shine Center opened the doors of its new facility.
At the new space, volunteers greet customers upon entry. The front half of the building houses the center’s thrift store, open to the general public. Items are donated by the community and include an ever-changing variety of clothing, accessories, furniture, antiques and décor.
Brand-name items or collectibles are placed on eBay by a volunteer to bring a better price than they could sell for in-store. Gordon Upchurch, the volunteer in charge of this task, says he uploads 20–30 items online each week.
Money made from purchases online or in-store helps stock the food pantry and assist struggling community members. Upchurch, just one of 36 regularly scheduled volunteers, says his favorite part of volunteering is shifts spent at the cash register connecting with people.
There’s a place for everyone at the Son-Shine Center. Volunteers jump in where needed when they aren’t doing their specialized tasks, like Upchurch on eBay or the retired interior designer who gives her time by organizing furniture on the showroom floor.
“I absolutely love what I do. We have a great group of volunteers,” Wamsley says. “It’s an awesome place. Anybody that hasn’t been here needs to come.”
