Something big is happening at Crosslines Carthage, and we are so excited to share it with our community!

We are opening our food pantry at our brand new location on Sunday, July 6th. This is a milestone we have been working toward, and the day is almost here!

We are not stopping at just opening the doors. We want to celebrate this moment WITH our community, the people who have made Crosslines Carthage what it is today.
Mark your calendars for these two special events:

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Thursday morning, July 10th
Come help us officially cut the ribbon on this exciting new chapter!

Open House
Thursday, July 10th from 5 to 7 pm
Tour the new space, meet our team, and celebrate everything this ministry is and everything it is becoming.

Come See Us!
We would love to have you join us on July 10th for the ribbon cutting and open house. Bring a friend, bring your family, and come celebrate with us.

Together, we are better. 

We have some exciting news to share with our Carthage community, and we just cannot stop smiling about it!

Last week, a brand new van pulled up to Crosslines Carthage, and it is already changing the way we serve families in need across our area. This isn't just a vehicle. It is a game changer for our food ministry.

We have to give an enormous, heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible friends at Ozark Food Harvest (OFH). This generous organization has blessed us in two incredible ways: first, by partnering with us to provide the food that our community depends on, and now by making it possible for us to pick that food up in style! ?

OFH didn't just give us the van. They funded it. And that kind of generosity reflects exactly the spirit of partnership that makes this work possible.

Soon, both the Ozark Food Harvest and Crosslines Carthage logos will be proudly displayed on this beauty as it rolls through our community, a moving reminder that together, we are better.

Food doesn't move itself. Behind every bag of groceries that reaches a family in our community, there's a pick up, a delivery, a volunteer, and a vehicle making it happen. This van strengthens our capacity to collect food donations and get resources where they need to go, faster and more reliably than ever.

For the families we serve, that matters in a very real way.

We are overflowing with gratitude. Crosslines Carthage has been named Nonprofit of the Year by the Carthage Missouri Chamber of Commerce, and we are completely humbled by this recognition. But let us be absolutely clear from the very start: this award does not belong to us alone.

To everyone who voted for us, believed in our mission, opened your hearts and your hands to support the work we do in this community, this is your honor as much as it is ours. To every volunteer who showed up, every donor who gave, every prayer offered on our behalf, and every individual who found a way to show up for Crosslines Carthage in ways big and small, thank you from the very bottom of our hearts.

None of this would be possible without the tireless dedication of our team and the unwavering support of this community. The Carthage Chamber of Commerce's recognition is a reflection of what happens when a community decides to take care of its own, and we are so proud to be a part of that story.

A special thank you to our board members Bill Tandy and Carolyn Cole, and to our Thrift Store Manager Stephanie Martini, for representing Crosslines Carthage at the ceremony last night. Your presence and dedication mean the world to this organization.

To this community, to Carthage, and to every single person who has been part of our journey, we say this with full hearts:

We've only just begun.

The best is still ahead. Thank you for making us Nonprofit of the Year. Now let's get back to work.

With love and gratitude,
Crosslines Carthage

The celebration was made even sweeter thanks to the Clines, who prepared an amazing lunch for attendees, and Scoop It, who delighted the crowd with their delicious ice cream. It was the kind of gathering that reminds us what community is all about.

The store is deeply grateful to everyone who has played a role in making this new chapter possible. Whether you donated items, shopped the aisles, or gave your time as a volunteer, your contributions made this reopening something truly special.

As the new location settles in, the team kindly asks visitors to be mindful of their neighbors to the north at OWN by parking only in the Crosslines parking lot. A little courtesy goes a long way in keeping the goodwill flowing in every direction.

If you have not yet stopped by, now is the perfect time to visit, browse, and support a store that gives back to the Carthage community in meaningful ways. As the Crosslines team said it best: His goodness is in plain sight.

Last night, we had the joy of celebrating someone who has poured her heart into this community for over four decades: Belle Lown.

Belle served as the acting Director of Carthage Crosslines Ministry for 36 remarkable years.

But her dedication didn't stop there. For the past five years, she has continued to volunteer her time and wisdom to support our new director and ensure our mission keeps moving forward — without being asked, without fanfare, simply because she cares.

Belle will fully step into retirement when we move into our new building — a milestone she has more than earned. That new chapter for Crosslines will carry her fingerprints on every wall, even after she's gone.

We are so grateful for her 42 years of sacrifice, service, and love for this ministry and the people we serve together.

Here's to Belle. ?

Thank you for everything — from all of us at Carthage Crosslines.

Friends, we have some incredible news to share!

Carthage Crosslines has been selected to receive a FY26 Strengthening Our Network Grant from Ozarks Food Harvest — and with it, we will receive a 2026 Dodge RAM ProMaster to use for food donation pickups. We are beyond grateful!

This vehicle could not have come at a better time. We were recently blessed to add local Dollar General and Aldi locations to our food pickup routes, alongside our existing partners. A dedicated vehicle will allow us to serve these partners more efficiently and bring even more food back to families in need right here in Carthage.

To the team at Ozarks Food Harvest — thank you. Thank you for believing in this mission, for investing in our community, and for helping us say yes to more opportunities to serve.

And to our supporters — none of this happens without you either. Your prayers, your donations, and your encouragement keep this ministry moving forward every single day.

We can't wait to put this van to work for our neighbors. Stay tuned for updates!