Shepherd's Heart

What Shepherd's Heart does

Shepherd's Heart was a nonprofit food assistance organization founded in 1993 and based in Waco, Texas, that provided free food and supportive services to families, children, and older adults experiencing food insecurity in the Central Texas community. Its core service offerings included food distribution through local pantry locations, a mobile food pantry, the Fresh Harvest Market on-site pantry, the Fresh Harvest Farm garden program, and a Community Kitchen where volunteers prepared meals. Beyond direct food distribution, the organization differentiated itself with a workforce training program to develop job skills and a nutrition education service promoting healthy eating — programs more characteristic of a holistic anti-hunger operator than a pure distribution pantry.

The organization's business model was entirely donation-driven, relying on charitable contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund free services, with no pricing applicable to beneficiaries. Go-to-market was community-led: outreach, volunteer recruitment (across warehouse, kitchen, mobile pantry, and garden operations), and donation appeals through community channels. Customer segments were defined geographically (Waco and Central Texas residents) and demographically (families/children and older adults in food insecurity), with a horizontal segmentation approach.

Shepherd's Heart has since officially merged with the Central Texas Food Bank (Austin, TX-based), with programs and services being integrated into CTFB operations to maintain continuity. Post-merger, the legacy programs operate under CTFB's leadership and benefit from CTFB's affiliations with Feeding America and Feeding Texas, while the Shepherd's Heart brand has been retired (the standalone website redirects to CTFB's announcement page). The entity's operating status is recorded as 'acquired,' and Central Texas Food Bank is the parent nonprofit. No revenue figures, headcount growth, or funding history beyond a single $0-recorded transaction from Superior HealthPlan (dated 2025-05-29) are disclosed in the source material.

Name

Shepherd's Heart

Website

https://shepherdsheartpantry.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shepherd's Heart was a Waco, Texas-based nonprofit food assistance organization providing free food, nutrition education, and workforce training to families, children, and older adults; it has merged into the Central Texas Food Bank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a nonprofit food bank, Shepherd's Heart relied on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund its food assistance programs and operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shepherd's Heart was a nonprofit food assistance organization serving the Waco, Texas community, providing food resources, pantry locations, and distribution services to families, children, and older adults experiencing food insecurity. The organization operated programs including a community kitchen, mobile food pantry, fresh harvest farm and market, workforce training, and nutrition education. It has since merged with the Central Texas Food Bank, with programs and services being integrated into the larger food bank's operations.

Product overview

Shepherd's Heart, now merged with the Central Texas Food Bank, operates as a food bank organization offering food assistance and hunger relief services. The organization provides a unified set of programs including food distribution through mobile pantries and partner agencies, fresh produce through the Fresh Harvest Farm and Fresh Harvest Market, meal preparation through the Community Kitchen, workforce training, and nutrition education. These services work together to strengthen food access for families, children, and older adults throughout the Waco and Central Texas communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Assistance Programs
• Fresh Harvest Farm
• Community Kitchen
• Mobile Food Pantry
• Fresh Harvest Market
• Workforce Training Programs
• Nutrition Education

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Central Texas Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShepherd's Heart has officially merged with the Central Texas Food Bank. The merger integrates Shepherd's Heart programs and services into Central Texas Food Bank operations to ensure continuity of service and strengthen food access for families, children, and older adults in the Waco community. The combined organization operates under Central Texas Food Bank's leadership while maintaining the legacy of Shepherd's Heart.
• Feeding AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Texas Food Bank, the organization Shepherd's Heart has merged into, is affiliated with Feeding America, a national network of food banks. This affiliation provides access to a broader network of resources, advocacy, and support for food banks across the United States.
• Feeding TexascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Texas Food Bank, the organization Shepherd's Heart has merged into, is affiliated with Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. This affiliation connects the organization to Texas-specific food bank advocacy and resource sharing.

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• North Texas Food Bank: Regional Feeding America food bank serving North Texas including Dallas-Fort Worth. Comparable on mobile pantry, nutrition education, and workforce programs, though geographically distinct from Waco.
• Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley: Regional Texas food bank addressing food insecurity in the Rio Grande Valley. Comparable nonprofit, donation-funded model and Feeding America affiliation, but geographically focused on South Texas.
• Tarrant Area Food Bank: Tarrant County-based food bank serving Fort Worth and surrounding areas. Comparable program mix including mobile pantries and nutrition education, but different operating geography.
• Houston Food Bank: One of the largest food banks in the U.S., serving the Greater Houston area. Comparable on scale of operations, mobile pantry programs, and workforce/nutrition initiatives, but operating in a different Texas region.
• El Pasoans Fighting Hunger: West Texas regional food bank serving the El Paso area. Comparable in mission, mobile distribution programs, and community-led operating model, though serving a distinct border-region geography.
• San Antonio Food Bank: Large Texas-based regional food bank serving a different geography (South/Central Texas). Comparable on program scope, mobile distribution, and Feeding America affiliation, though serving a distinct metro area from Waco.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding Texas: State association of Texas food banks affiliated with Feeding America. Provides comparable statewide network structure, advocacy, and resource-sharing similar to the network that Central Texas Food Bank joins.
• Feeding America: National network of food banks operating across the US. Indirect peer given the parent organization's affiliation; sets operating standards, supply pipelines, and donor programs common to all member food banks.

Emerging players

• Lubbock Area United Way: Adjacent community-based human services organization addressing basic needs in the West Texas region. Comparable in addressing food insecurity among vulnerable populations, though services extend beyond food assistance.

Direct peers

• Central Texas Food Bank: The acquiring organization and a regional Feeding America–affiliated food bank serving Central Texas. Direct comparator on mission, programs (mobile pantries, community kitchen, workforce training), and donor-supported revenue model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ShepherdsHeart
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waco-shepherds-heart-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shepherd's Heart