Many nonprofit organizations across North Texas are struggling as cities and counties continue to impose restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re taking a big hit,” said business owner Carla Brown.
In December 2019, Brown opened Chocolate Lounge Exclusive at the corner of South Lamar and Corinth Street in the Cedars neighborhood in Dallas. She also runs a nonprofit called Mentoring and Restoring Family Services.
The Chocolate Lounge has also served as a classroom for students gaining workforce and skills training under Brown’s nonprofit. She offers classes for careers in the hospitality and construction industries. Those classes are on hold now, due to restrictions limiting the number of people gathering in public and private places.
Brown explained, “When you’re dealing with nonprofit and people of an at-risk community, they can lose focus real easy, and they can be discouraged, that the world just failed us again. I’ve never seen this before.”
Some nonprofit organizers believe they’ll be in trouble the more communities have to deal with coronavirus restrictions.
"We just out here trying to survive,” said Paulette Johnson.
Johnson runs Trucker’s Café. She feeds hundreds of people free meals through her nonprofit TC Food 4 Soul. However, these days, fewer paying customers means less money coming in to help the organization and its mission to serve other community members in need.
Johnson explained, "I fix a lot of food. It’s a lot of people living check to check out here and still can’t make ends meet.”
Nonprofit business owners hope things will turn around quickly, so their organizations can continue to do their work.
More on WFAA:
- Do I have to stay inside? Here's how North Texas counties are handling COVID-19
- What are the 'essential' jobs listed in county stay at home orders?
- These are the confirmed COVID-19 cases in Dallas-Fort Worth
- No need for panic buying groceries; warehouses are full, trucks are moving
- Collin, Denton, Tarrant counties issue 'stay at home' order to stop spread of COVID-19