Today we’d like to introduce you to Travis Adkins.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Twenty years ago, I wasn’t looking for a career in the nonprofit world; I was searching for something meaningful. I wanted my life to matter. I had recently been ordained and felt a deep desire to help people, but if I’m being completely honest, I was also searching for healing myself. I thought that by serving people who were facing incredible hardships, I might find perspective and purpose in my own life.
On a cold November day, I walked into Community Storehouse and started sweeping floors, sorting donations, unloading trucks, and helping distribute food. There was nothing glamorous about it, but it didn’t take long for me to realize I had found exactly where I was supposed to be.
Over time, I was given the opportunity to lead the organization, but my heart has always remained in the mission. As trite as it sounds, Community Storehouse isn’t just where I work; it’s become a part of who I am. The Backpack Program that I started for children experiencing food insecurity is especially close to my heart and one of the greatest privileges of my life.
Looking back, I smile at the irony that I came here hoping to help other people heal, only to discover that this work transformed me as much as it has anyone we’ve served. Today, my life is full of purpose. Every morning I wake up knowing that what I do matters. There is no greater gift than being able to spend your life serving others, and in the process, discovering the person you were meant to become.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but I wouldn’t have wanted it to be. Every challenge has forced us to become stronger and more creative in how we serve our community.
Like many nonprofits, we’ve faced financial uncertainty, relocated our operations, reinvented programs, and experienced the highs and lows that come with leading an organization over two decades. When your mission is helping people, it’s easy to give more than you have, but an organization has to remain healthy if it’s going to continue serving others for years to come.
The greatest challenge, without question, was COVID-19.
When the Governor’s mandate shut everything down, the world was filled with uncertainty. Grocery store shelves were empty, people couldn’t even find basic necessities like toilet paper, and no one knew what the coming weeks would bring. Our Board of Directors gave me their full blessing to stay home like everyone else, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I kept thinking about the families who depended on us. If they were scared, if they were hungry, then we had to find a way to be there.
Instead of closing our doors, we moved our mission outdoors. We created large-scale outdoor food distributions that allowed us to continue serving people safely, and they quickly grew to meet an overwhelming need. It was one of the most challenging periods of my career, but also one of the moments that confirmed why this work matters so much.
The personal side of this journey has been just as meaningful. Over twenty years, coworkers, volunteers, board members, donors, and clients have become like family. Some have moved away, some have passed on, and some chapters have simply come to an end.
Looking back, I realize that every obstacle: whether financial, operational, or deeply personal, has shaped Community Storehouse into a stronger organization and me into a stronger man.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I don’t want Community Storehouse to be known as a place that gives away food. I want it to be known as an organization that restores dignity.
Over the past twenty years, I’ve learned that my role isn’t to manage a nonprofit; it’s to solve problems. Whether that’s finding new ways to rescue food that would otherwise go to waste, creating programs for children experiencing food insecurity, redesigning how we serve clients to make the experience more dignified, or building partnerships that strengthen our community, I enjoy taking an idea and turning it into something that genuinely changes lives.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a single award or accomplishment. It’s the culture we’ve built. We’ve created an organization that has served millions of meals, but more importantly, we’ve built a place where people feel seen, respected, and valued regardless of the circumstances that brought them through our doors.
If there’s one thing that sets me apart, it’s that I never stop asking how we can do better. I believe nonprofits should never become comfortable with “the way we’ve always done it.” Every challenge is an opportunity to innovate, improve, and serve people more effectively. That’s been my mindset from the first day I walked through the doors twenty years ago, and it’s still what motivates me every morning.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
One of the things I’ve learned over the years is that solving hunger isn’t something one organization can do alone. It takes an entire community working together.
People often ask how they can help, and my answer is always the same: find the way that matches your passion. Volunteer your time. Donate food or financial support. Shop or consign at our thrift store. Introduce us to your business, church, civic organization, or employer. If you’re a company with excess food or resources, let’s talk about how we can put those to good use instead of letting them go to waste.
Every person has something valuable to contribute; if I do then certainly everyone does. Not everyone can make a financial gift, but everyone has a talent, a connection, an idea, or a few hours they can invest. When those individual contributions come together, they create something far greater than any one of us could accomplish alone.
Our mission has never been about what Community Storehouse can do by itself. It’s about what all of us can accomplish together for our neighbors.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hungerfreemhc.org
- Facebook: hungerfreemhc
