BISHOP, Texas —
Wayne Grant and his nonprofit the Citizen's Planning Committee are helping people in Bishop in big ways. Everything in the facility is donated. When people come into his thrift shop, they donate what they can for what they take. Those who are homeless pay nothing at all.
“We want to keep those folks who are in need in mind and that is what brings about hope to the people who felt there was no hope," Grant said.
Housed inside the community service building, the organization offers a clothing closet, shower and laundry program, hygiene accessories and will soon have a soup kitchen.
"I do know that the citizens all over Bishop are grateful for what we do," he said. "I can tell that by the donations that they bring to help us move along. The citizens are actually keeping us afloat in doing what we do."
The organization used to run out of Grant and his wife's home in Bishop, but in November of 2021, when his son passed away, grant and his wife choose to turn their tragedy into an opportunity to help others. They used their son's life insurance policy to propel the project forward and expand.
"We used those funds to put into the non-profit to help the citizens move even more far along than what we were doing before," Grant said.
Shortly after his son's death, Grant's wife passed away from breast cancer. He said his wife was always helping others. While working at the CVS in Kingsville, Grant's wife would often come across struggling individuals and always wanted to help.
"She would always call me and say 'Hey, I got a family here that needs a hotel for the weekend. Bring some money.' Not 'Can we do it?', but 'Bring some money,'" he said.
Inspired by his wife, he took the next step -- expanding the non-profit into a building on the Bishop's West side. Now one year in, he said he looks forward to what more can be done to help even more people in Bishop and the surrounding areas.
"When we first started, it was all Bishop," Grant said. "We were doing things just for the citizens. Now since God has provided and abundance of items, we're reaching out to Driscoll, Kingsville, Ricardo and also Riviera to help folks that are in need."
Grant is currently looking for volunteers to help out with their soup kitchen. If you or someone you know would be interested in helping the Citizen's Planning Committee, you can stop by their facility at 301 W. Main Street in Bishop or call (361)-355-2683.
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