This year, Operation Refuge reached a record milestone by brightening the holiday season for 700 underprivileged children by giving them new toys and access to new coats. This charitable organization, funded by the proceeds of its resale shop and generous contributions from Liberty Church of Cleveland, successfully collaborated with Toys for Tots for an extraordinary toy giveaway on Dec. 21.
Operation Refuge Founder Frieda White said the need is increasing in the Cleveland community, not only with the annual toy giveaway but at Operation Refuge’s food pantry.
“We’ve gone from feeding 200 to 250 families per month to 600 families per month,” said White. The rise in demand came after the unexpected closing of the Trinity River Food Pantry in June 2023, along with inflation, which is further stretching families’ budgets.
“In 2001, I founded Operation Refuge to be a resource for the community. We built this building on Blair Ave. and built the thrift shop on Houston Street in 2003 to further provide to the community. We also operation KORG, our radio station that has been functioning all these years,” White said.
Due to the increased demand in monthly food allotments, Operation Refuge Food Pantry had to streamline its operation, White said, and squeeze an additional interview room from an already-tight space.
“The area we are using to interview food pantry clients now was previously used as an area to prepare grocery bags. We’ve turned the chairs around in our lobby to maximize space. We try to have two people doing interviews now instead of one,” she said. “Operation Refuge has endeavored for over 20 years to walk with integrity and do what God wants us to do, and that is to help those who are less fortunate in our community.”
White is grateful for the support Operation Refuge receives from the community. She credits Brookshire Brothers for hosting a toy drive, Tasha Childress with Austin Bank for hosting a coat drive, and Cali’s Tan for hosting a food drive.
“We are grateful to have a lot of community support but we need more help. This building is getting old and is in need of some repairs,” White said.
If you would like to help Operation Refuge’s efforts or need information on the food pantry, call 281-592-6701. If you would like to donate clothing and household items to Operation Refuge’s Thrift Store, stop by 904 E. Houston St., Cleveland, during regular business hours.
