Lancaster's St. Vincent Center gets donated land and a $30,000 surprise from partners

St. Vincent de Paul of North Texas had a lot of community support on Wednesday at its St. Vincent Center in Lancaster.

Credit Union of Texas donated land to the nonprofit to help the center keep serving neighbors who are dealing with food insecurity, money trouble and other hardships. Then Atmos Energy surprised the group with a $30,000 check.

The gifts were presented during the center's monthly food distribution for seniors, where volunteers handed out food and other supplies to older residents. Representatives from the North Texas Food Bank, Lancaster city leaders and other community partners also attended. The nonprofit's website says it supports the North Texas Food Bank's monthly PAN (People and Nutrition) distribution for seniors, and its most recent monthly figures list 159 neighbors served through that program.

The center does more than hand out food. It connects Lancaster-area residents with job help, health services and emergency assistance. The nonprofit's website calls these its three main programs. St. Paul Medical Center, which operates inside the St. Vincent Center, also provides medical care to people in the surrounding community. Recent monthly numbers posted by the organization include 364 neighbors who came to the center and 841 neighbors served from donations.

The St. Vincent Center is located at 1120 Randlett St. in Lancaster. Its website lists hours as Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., for anyone who needs help or wants to get involved.

This story is based on original reporting by WFAA, with additional details from St. Vincent de Paul North Texas.