Who We Are...

The Community Enrichment Center (CEC) is a 501-(c)(3) organization that works with the homeless and hungry in Tarrant County. Its objective is “To provide a realistic opportunity for each qualified homeless family in Tarrant County to achieve self-sufficiency.” This is done through a partnership of private donors, churches, businesses, community service organizations, and government agencies. The CEC opened in 1988.

The Community Enrichment Center runs three major programs: the Adopt-A-Family Program for homeless families from across Tarrant County, the Food Pantry which provides groceries to low-income people living in northeast Tarrant County, and its Affordable Housing Program that provides housing for people at or below the median income in Tarrant County. The Adopt-A-Family and Affordable Housing programs are tied together with rents from the affordable housing units partially offsetting the costs of the Adopt-A-Family Program. 

The CEC owns or has access to 130 single-family homes or town houses in Fort Worth, Arlington, and northeast Tarrant County. Eighty of these are designated for the homeless families in the Adopt-A-Family Program. The remaining fifty are designated as affordable housing. 

In 2004, the CEC provided safe and secure housing for 116 families including 242 children. The scope of the Adopt-A-Family Program goes well beyond housing. Its real focus is on bringing more educational resources into each family and teaching each family the importance of accepting personal responsibility for their actions. The CEC’s case managers guide homeless families through a difficult period in their lives. By helping each family make the changes needed to support themselves as self-reliant, responsible, and productive contributors to the community, the CEC is not just housing people; it is giving them a hand-up so that they can make it on their own. The Adopt-A-Family Program was awarded a Department of Housing and Urban Development “Best Practice” Award in 1999.

The CEC’s Food Pantry distributes about 1,000,000 pounds of groceries supplementing the monthly budgets of over 35,000 low-income people each year. In 2004 the pantry initiated a Seniors Only Day each Wednesday. Seniors worship together, hear informational talks, learn stretching exercises, enjoy snacks and generally fellowship together. The Seniors Only Days average 50-60 seniors each week. By taking a more holistic approach, the pantry is making a more lasting improvement in the lives of the people who come each month. By addressing basic needs while protecting people’s dignity, the CEC helps people maintain their self-esteem while helping them to continue to live in their own home.

The CEC’s priority is to break the cycle of poverty for homeless and low-income families, especially for their children. By giving people the tools to build new lives, the CEC brings hope and strength into families that need both. The bottom line is that the CEC is changing lives for the better.