A renovation celebration in honor of the newly refurbished J.E.& L.E. Mabee Social Services Center took place at 1855 E. Lancaster Avenue on July 23. Several dignitaries were in attendance including area commander of The Salvation Army of North Texas Major Paul McFarland and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker. Following the ribbon cutting, ceremony attendees were ushered through the new digs, which include upgrades to the individual men’s and women's shelters, which are now family shelters.
This upgrade allows the facility to provide families with children, access to safe temporary shelter — open year-round for emergency situations — and comprehensive case management, job training, daily warm meals, and coordinated services aimed at reducing and preventing homelessness in Tarrant County, according to a release.
This initiative was pertinent given the rise in the family homelessness rate in Tarrant County over the years. In 2017, The Salvation Army turned its focus towards converting the individual men’s and women's shelters into a family shelter to provide aid for families as a whole.
Since 1989, the Mabee Center has been a hub for The Salvation Army’s Tarrant County operations, which help combat poverty, addiction, and homelessness.
Officials with the Salvation Army say these renovations come at a critical time since homelessness continues to be a pressing issue in North Texas. In fact, data from the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition revealed that 5,814 households experienced homelessness in Tarrant and Parker Counties in 2023.
"It is a privilege to expand our doors and further our mission of serving families experiencing homelessness in Tarrant County," McFarland said. "The renovations represent our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our community and ensuring that all those in need have access to safe shelter and support services."
This new renovation comes on the tail of a 16-month period where the Mabee Center was operating at two- to four-times capacity, often serving as the first point of contact for local families in need of emergency shelter. However, when additional funding became available for renovations, The Salvation Army chose to revamp this space as a pathway forward to better serve the community.
The new renovations to this space have improved safety for families as well as privacy, and bed capacity for families and individuals in need of a place to stay. Other services at the Mabee Center include a food pantry, ministry services, residential addiction recovery programs, and comprehensive case management. To top this off, the Mabee Center also offers specialized programs like the START (Stabilizing to Achieve Richer Tomorrow) program, which is available to individual men and women who are stuck in a repetitive cycle of homelessness.
Other specialized programs at the Mabee Center include the Simon Transitional Housing program, designed for single women who have a dual diagnosis of mental illness and drug/alcohol addiction; and the First Choice program, a licensed long-term substance abuse treatment program for women with children who are minors.
Now with COVID-era funding and protections coming to a close, the Salvation Army of North Texas has been adapting and expanding its resources over the past few years. This is crucial given the aid this organization helps provide in the community. Each week, The Salvation Army of North Texas provides 10,000 meals to people in need through its 12 food pantries, offers assistance to 500 individuals through its three recovery programs, and shelters 1,300 people across its six shelters and senior living centers.
"We want to express our sincere gratitude to the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, the City of Fort Worth, and our community partners for their unwavering support throughout this process," Deborah Bullock, The Salvation Army’s director of adult and family services for Tarrant and Ellis Counties, said. "Together, we are making a meaningful difference in the lives of our most vulnerable populations in North Texas. "
