Permian Basin Mission Center showed off $117,000 worth of improvements to its building Friday to a steady stream of visitors.
Executive Director Hank Herrick said they had the outside of the building painted, a new driveway put in and redid the floors with all the cracks sealed.
Additionally, all the emergency lighting and emergency exits have been updated. They have a new $55,000 van.
Of the $117,000, $95,000 came from facility improvement grants.
“The purpose of this open house is to make sure we’re not the best kept secret in the Permian Basin,” Herrick said. “We do a lot, but some people don’t even know we exist.”
The event was billed as a grand reopening, but they were never closed.
“We phrased it just to say we’re still open, but it’s grander,” Herrick said.
The Mission Center has a staff of seven, including Herrick.
There are currently four steady volunteers, but throughout the year different groups come in and help out. But they could always use more, Herrick said.
The nonprofit offers food, clothing, rent and utility assistance. Everything is laid out with military precision as Herrick is an Air Force veteran.
The food comes from the West Texas Food Bank and Affiliated Foods. They provide a food box valued at about $60.
Various businesses and agencies conduct canned food drives for Permian Basin Mission Center, such as the YMCA.
Elida Hernandez, clothing store manager, has been with the mission center for a little more than a year.
“I always like to work in the fields where I can feel that I’m helping people out,” Hernandez said.
She added that she loves her job and the people she works with because they’re all generous and feel the same way she does.
People can donate food by calling 432-337-0554 and visit the website at https://www.permianbasinmission.org/ to get more information.
“We’re proud of the fact that we vet our clients and make sure that they meet federal guidelines for assistance based on their income. We also take emergency cases on a case by case basis. (If) someone’s house burns down, of course … regardless of their income, we’re going to help out,” Herrick said.
He hasn’t gotten called out in the middle of the night, but he has come to work and found someone waiting to be helped.
“I had one morning where a guy was … smoldering from his house that had burned down and he had nothing. So we brought him in, gave him food. We gave him clothing and then worked with our fellow nonprofits to get him lodging …,” Herrick said.
Grants and donations came from All American Chevrolet, Aghorn Energy, City of Odessa Community Development Block Grant, ConocoPhillips, Diamondback, MIDTEX of Midland, Stone Church of Odessa, Oxy and Williams Paving.
“Some of them I was referred to and others I reached out to,” Herrick said.
The building at 208 Adams Ave. is 70 years old and it was opened as a nonprofit in 1998.
They also plan to renovate the restrooms and finish redoing his office. They will next work their way down the hallway and up into the attic.
Herrick has been executive director at Permian Basin Mission Center for two and a half years and was executive director of United Way of Odessa for six years.
He had retired.
“My wife and I prayed at the kitchen table that I would be led in the next adventure and the phone rang and it was the president of the board of directors asking me to interview for the job,” with the Permian Basin Mission Center.
“That’s exactly how it happened,” Herrick said.
Impact of the Permian Basin Mission Center for 2023:
>> 20,010 times community members sought help.
>> 53 percent of clients were children and elderly.
>> 9,504 households assisted.
>> 8,279 free food boxes distributed.
>> 905 new clients.
>> 623 community members received free clothing.
>> 237 veterans.
>> $51,419 financial assistance provided to qualified and vetted clients.
>> All clients are provided an opportunity for prayer. PBMC social services are not contingent upon religious affiliation.
