By Loretta Fulton

At least Ronnie Kidd got to see the expansion of the Food Bank of West Central Texas taking shape before he retired.

Kidd’s last day on the job as chief executive officer was Aug. 31. Brandon Forrest is the new CEO. Kidd was in on the planning of the expansion, which began in 2022, and has seen the project’s progression. He expects the 6,000 square feet of additional space will be finished sometime in the first quarter of 2026. Although a relatively small space will be added to the existing 30,000 square-foot building, the expansion and remodeling will transform the look of the food bank, with artist Stephanie Prosser commissioned to paint a mural on the east side.

“For forty years, people could drive right by and not know where we were,” Kidd said. “Now we will serve as a neighborhood beacon for hope.” 

Click here to read a story about the expansion.

And that’s not the only change coming. The expansion will allow for the first time an onsite drive-thru food pantry. Plans are for it to be open when other local food pantries are closed to give people an extra opportunity to shop. The expansion also will include a community meeting space and new offices. 

Kidd is well known in Abilene. He was born at Hendrick Medical Center and graduated from Abilene High School and Hardin-Simmons University. Before being named chief executive officer of the food bank in April 2018, he was Managing Director for Administration for the city of Abilene. He is a board member and former president of several local organizations, including the HSU Alumni Association. 

With all that Abilene history, Kidd and his wife, Sheila, won’t be leaving town now that Kidd is retired. And, the food bank won’t be far from his mind.

“I will miss the food bank, but I won’t be far away,” he said. “And I’m leaving it in great hands!”

Ronnie Kidd

Birthplace: Hendrick Hospital
Where you grew up: Abilene 
Education: Cooper High School, 1977; Hardin-Simmons University, 1981, bachelor of business administration, cum laude
Family: Sheila (wife); grown son Riley; grown son Kirby and his wife Sierra
Previous professions: City of Abilene, Managing Director for Administration

Community involvement:

• United Way of Abilene, Board of Directors 
• Hardin Simmons University Alumni Association, Board of Directors, various officer positions, including President 
• Texas Municipal Human Resources Association, various officer positions, including President 
• Big Country Society for Human Resource Management, Board of Directors, various officer positions, including President 
• 2-1-1 Texas A Call for Help, board and founding member 
• Holy Family Catholic Church, serving as pastoral council member, including two years as president

Q What year did you start as chief executive officer of the Food Bank?
A April 2018

Q Were you involved with the Food Bank prior to that?
A  Yes, I became a board member of the Food Bank Board of Directors in 1995.  I served for many years as Treasurer and then served several terms over the years as Board Chair  

Q What was your primary interest in becoming CEO of the Food Bank after a career with the city of Abilene?
A  Our Executive Director, Jody Houston, was retiring after 18 years of service to the Food Bank. I felt like a could provide a bridge into the future for the Food Bank, using my board experience with the Food Bank and my collective business experience over the years. I felt I would keep the course mission focused, providing programs to serve clients and steward donations.    

Q How long has the building expansion been in the planning?
A  Planning for the addition began in 2022

Q How many square feet will be added?
A  We will be adding about 6,000 square feet to the facility, plus facade and site enhancements to the overall property. 

Q Will the Food Bank offer additional services in the added space?
A  While the square footage increase is relatively nominal, going from approximately 30,000 thousand to 36,000 square feet, lots will be happening in this new space. 

Q Will the Food Bank expand its service area?
A  Our 13-county service footprint will not change. But for the first time ever, we will distribute food onsite from the new drive-thru food pantry.  With yet-to-be decided operating hours for the pantry, folks can come to the food bank site at 5501 N 1^st Street and queue through the pantry in their vehicle. We are still developing our operating plan for the drive-thru, but the ability to pre-order either on-line or onsite is a goal. We hope to be open at times during the week when no other pantry is open. Why? So that folks who are working or otherwise can’t make it to  pantry will be able to have access to food. We will also have a new community gathering space for meetings, nutrition education, audio-visual presentations and general gatherings. This is something the food bank has never had and will allow us to better collaborate with and serve our partner agencies. We will have new office space for client-facing services and volunteer programming. We will also have a new facade for our overall facility, providing light and brightness to our neighborhood. For forty years, people could drive right by and not know where we were… now we will serve as a neighborhood beacon for hope.      

Q What has been the biggest concern with the threat of federal funding cuts? For example: More fundraising? Cutting agencies you serve?
A The biggest concerns have been the uncertainty, the threat of the unknown, the changing and re-changing of courses, the inability to define impact. Reductions in SNAP benefits, decreased TEFAP emergency food funding, and a continued decline in donated food volumes are straining the food bank’s ability to meet rising community needs.

Q What have been some of the highlights of your years leading the Food Bank?
A  At this time of reflection, I think I have to step back to my days at Hardin-Simmons University to establish the foundation for the answer to this question. I was a member of Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, known on campus as APO. APO was founded in 1925 (one hundred years ago) on the principles of leadership, friendship and service. We pledged to uphold these principles. I tried to anchor my time at the university to these principles. And then I carried them forward into my professional career trek as well as my involvement in the community.  
So fast forward to my service to the Food Bank as – first a long-tenured board member – and then a staff member for the last seven and one-half years. To apply those long-held principles of leadership, friendship and service to the oversight and operations of the Food Bank has been tremendously rewarding to me and, I think, impactful to the Food Bank.
I have to mention COVID – its arrival, its impact, our responses, the change it created and our life at the food bank afterwards. Early on in the uncharted COVID waters, we “set sail” seeking to be responsive to service needs. We looked for opportunities to partner and collaborate with others, to look at the way we might do things differently and even do things better. We sought to lead as we “sailed our ship.” It wasn’t all stormy seas and gloomy clouds. We stayed focused on our mission and there were silver linings and rainbows along this journey.  In hindsight, we came out of COVID with enhanced operations, more collaborative relationships and doing our overall business differently. There was pain, but there was also gain. We have more fleet and equipment. We are able to source food from more suppliers. And we absolutely cherish our donors and partners who stepped up and stood up to help us on the journey.  
For a long time, we have all worn many hats as members of a small team at the Food Bank.  Over the last couple of years, we have been able to add much-needed program, development and food sourcing positions to our team. This allows us to better serve our clients and improve our programming and service delivery. We still wear many hats, but our reach is further with more hands. 
As discussed above, the construction of the Onsite Food Pantry and expansion of our facility is a great anchor for us as we move forward into the next decade and beyond. We will be able to serve in other ways, with more product diversity, more expanded hours of accessibility and more flexibility.  
In closing, I am so very grateful. Grateful to the team that runs the food bank…their dedication and loyalty to the mission and to those we serve does not waiver.  I am grateful to our board of directors for their leadership and guidance. They are a mighty group, knowing how and when to provide support to our vision and operations. I am extremely grateful to our partners and donors who provide support for our mission, programs and capital projects. Most of all, I am grateful for each and every neighbor in our community who allows us the opportunity to help  them get access to food when they are in need of it.
I will miss the Food Bank, but I won’t be far away… and I’m leaving it in great hands!  Blessings, friends!!      
Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene