Weir: A one-stop shop for humanity

Although there are numerous services for those in need in North Texas, how does one go about finding the right one for their particular needs? How about a place in which several nonprofits are available at the same location?

Serve Denton is the largest nonprofit center in Denton County and one of the largest in Texas. It is a 4.8-acre nonprofit center located on North Loop 288 in Denton. Over 29,000 cars pass by the facility every day and there is a DCTA bus stop right across Market St. They partner with numerous local nonprofits, most of which have physical offices in the building, in order to make social services more accessible for people in need. A similar center is planned for Lewisville.

According to their Mission Statement: “Our partners pay ~50% less for rent then they would in another office space in town. Not to mention the WiFi, cafe, printing and copying, four shared meeting rooms and community of likeminded nonprofit professionals that comes with their rent. In fact, our partners collectively save over $500,000 every year. That’s money they can use to expand their programs, hire more staff and help more people in need.

“For those in need, finding help should be easy. With multiple nonprofits working together to meet people’s needs in one location, someone simply has to come to the Serve Denton Center to find help for food, bills, healthcare, counseling and much more. We believe that we can do more together than we can apart. And we’re just getting started.”

Pat Smith, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Serve Denton, came over for an interview to talk about the many advantages of the one stop shop approach. He also provided this short bio:

“Serve Denton accomplishes this mission by providing shared space and services at reduced costs while fostering collaboration. Previously, he served as the Director of Local Outreach and Director of Safety and Security at Denton Bible Church from 2010 to 2019. As the Director of Local Outreach, he led efforts to build bridges with the community to meet physical needs and develop spiritual relationships. As Director of Safety and Security, Pat oversaw the protection of the main church campus and eight overseas locations worldwide. Pat currently serves as the deacon over safety and security for the church.”