By Chatashia Brown, Managing Director, Opportunity & Impact
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
At The Storehouse Community Center (TSCC), work starts with a simple idea: every neighbor deserves a pathway forward. TSCC Executive Director and DRC Board member Candace Winslow has spent more than a decade putting that idea into practice. Founded in Plano in 2009, TSCC has grown from a single food pantry into an economic mobility hub serving approximately 1,200 families each week.
In 2025, TSCC found its “forever home”—a 30,000-square-foot campus in Carrollton, where renovations to expand TSCC’s programs and develop dedicated spaces for each of their offerings are planned to be completed by 2029.
A community center built for the whole person
“Everyone is standing in line for something today,” said Winslow. “Our neighbors may be standing in line for food or clothing, but all of us are standing in line for a need: the need to be seen, heard, understood, forgiven, accepted or loved.”
TSCC’s programs are built on shared humanity and dignity, where every neighbor deserves respect, choice and opportunity. And their mission to feed, clothe and care as neighbors fuels each program—all of which work in tandem to serve the whole person. Their programs include a food pantry, Seven Loaves, a clothing closet, Joseph’s Coat, a case management and resource program, Project Hope, and an education hub, The Academy.
The neighbors TSCC serves are highly educated and employed—often working two or three jobs—yet they still struggle with rising housing, child care, health care and transportation costs. The Storehouse provides immediate support while helping build long-term stability.
“Neighbors may come to us first for food,” said Winslow, “but they continue to engage because they’re looking for doors to open to better employment, career growth and stability.”
Work Well: Workforce readiness with real results
At the heart of TSCC’s economic mobility work is Work Well, a cohort-based workforce readiness program within The Academy. Each cohort of 15 neighbors builds resumes, practices interviewing and learns U.S. workplace culture, concluding with mock interviews led by HR professionals from locally based businesses, including Fortune 500 companies.
Since launching in 2023, 107 neighbors have completed the program, and 85% have secured living-wage employment. Last fiscal year, The Academy delivered 95 classes with 3,779 registrations. For Winslow, those numbers reflect something bigger.
“When businesses, nonprofits and civic leaders work together to strengthen economic mobility and financial resilience, the benefits extend far beyond any one family. Our community is made stronger and healthier when we come together.”
Advancing regional collaboration
As one of a select number of nonprofit leaders serving in a community seat on the DRC’s Board, Winslow brings frontline insights to regional conversations. She challenges business and civic leaders to see workforce development not as philanthropy, but as a shared investment in the region’s long-term competitiveness.
“This is a workforce issue, an economic issue and a community stability issue,” said Winslow. “When families are financially stable, it lifts employee productivity, children’s educational outcomes and the long-term health of our communities.”
TSCC’s model thrives when corporate partners show up in three ways: volunteering, partnering as employers through the Work Well hiring pathway and investing financially to sustain and expand operations.
“The most impactful partnerships happen when businesses bring time, talent and resources to our mission,” said Winslow.
Winslow and TSCC are proof that community-centered work and economic strategy are one and the same. With a new campus, a proven workforce model and strong regional partnerships, the organization is well-positioned to shape what economic opportunity looks like in the Dallas Region for years to come.
To get involved, visit TSCC’s volunteer and give pages, or contact the TSCC to inquire about Work Well partnerships.