A recent groundbreaking ceremony and special event held on August 26 launched Phase 2 of St. Andrew United Methodist Church’s $16.5 million ChurchOne capital campaign. The campaign was designed in 2016 to address the growing needs of the church in the first two phases of a 30-year master plan. Construction begins immediately to build a dedicated missions area for The Storehouse of Collin County as well as provide improvements to the Children’s and Students’ Ministries and additional parking. It is estimated that Phase 2 construction will be completed in 13 months. Phase 1 which was completed in April, was the renovation of the sanctuary to accommodate present and future worship at St. Andrew.
“As we stand here today, I think back to 1990 when we had a group gathered in this same spot to break ground on our first building just behind me,” said Senior Pastor Robert Hasley. “Today we are here to remember those who came before and made all of this possible. You are the founding members for the next 30 years as we offer the love of Christ to children, students, and those who need a helping hand.”
The Storehouse of Collin County, a nonprofit which began at St. Andrew and is housed on its campus, has been operating within the students’ wing of St. Andrew since it first opened in 2009. It is the umbrella of services providing short-term assistance and long-term transformation to residents of Collin County in need and includes the Seven Loaves Food Pantry, serving 1,000 families a month; Joseph’s Coat Clothing Closet, providing an average of 4,000 garments each month; and Project Hope, a mentoring program supporting women in crisis. The nonprofit, which has increased the number of families served by 11 percent in the last year, was honored on September 14 with the North Texas Food Bank’s (NTFB) Partner Agency of the Year Excellence in Impact Award – NTFB’S most prestigious partner agency award. NTFB has 216 partner agencies within the 13-county area it serves.
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“The Storehouse of Collin County is an agency that provides life changing services for their clients by meeting multiple needs for each family served,” said Trisha Cunningham, president & CEO of NTFB. “While all of our Partner Agencies lend a hand to those in need, this agency strives to lend a hand up.”
“The Storehouse is humbled by this honor as we go forward helping our neighbors in need every day,” said Candace Winslow, executive director, The Storehouse of Collin County. “We are so excited about our new facility, which will not only provide us with a dedicated space in which to serve others but also enable us to continue to grow.”
The new construction of 1,200 square feet will be the Storehouse’s hospitality and sign-in entrance and includes a mezzanine and a welcoming awning. The interior renovation of 3,500 square feet will include a kitchen, a walk-in fridge and walk-in freezer.
The primary improvements for St. Andrew’s Children’s Ministry include the Children’s entrance, the addition of the indoor play space on the main level and tie-ins for the children’s area at each level. This is 970 square feet of new construction (three stories tall) and 3,150 square feet of renovation.
The Students’ Ministry, gaining the most new square footage with 9,450, includes a lobby entrance facing Mira Vista Road, breakout spaces for small groups and two new gyms that are designed to also serve as worship facilities. In addition, there will be 4,500 square feet of renovation for a game area and a new students’ department office on the second floor.
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Regarding parking, over 100 new spots are being added around the campus, with the most new spots in the southeastern corner, near the intersection of Mira Vista Boulevard and Plano Parkway.
“Without Rev. Robert Hasley, none of us would be standing here today,” added Rev. Arthur Jones, senior associate pastor. “The main thing I have learned from Robert over my years at St. Andrew is that we have to look forward, and I’m thrilled to be looking forward with all of you here today. It’s an exciting day in the life of St. Andrew.”
For more about St. Andrew’s, click here.
For more about The Storehouse of Collin County, click here.
