About Us!

Kris and Bill Ware have lived a life rooted in service and community. Bill (born in 1941) began his career with 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force. After retiring from the military, he transitioned to the private sector, specializing in aircraft modification for another 20 years.

In 1989, the Wares relocated from Dallas to Waco, Texas, where they purchased a 65-acre farm. While in Waco, they opened and operated a dog kennel, raising and selling dogs. After five years, Kris was diagnosed with an illness that prevented her from working in public. They decided that Kris would manage the farm, raising cattle and baling hay, while Bill continued his work in the private sector. During this time, Kris also volunteered at West Hospital in West, Texas, running the gift shop.

In 2006, after two decades of farm life, Kris (born in 1946) and Bill, both now seniors, retired from farming and moved to a smaller farm in Alba-Golden, Texas. Two years later, in 2008, Kris began volunteering at the Bread of Life Food Pantry in Mineola, Texas, marking the start of her ongoing commitment to addressing food insecurity. Over time, Kris volunteered at nearly all of the food pantries in Wood and Smith Counties.

By 2018, recognizing the growing need for nutritious food in their community, the Wares used their own money, along with small contributions, to finance food for local families. They established a food pantry in a local church, which served 65 families at that time. After 16 months, they joined the East Texas Food Bank, saving money on food costs. However, the church they were using became too small to accommodate the food, equipment, and traffic the pantry required. During this time, they used a flatbed trailer to haul food.

When COVID-19 struck in 2020, the Wares took decisive action to ensure the people of Wood County were not without food, never closing the pantry. That year, they decided to cash in their retirement accounts and obtain their own 501(c)(3) with the help of a local attorney who donated his services. They named the pantry Rose Hill Community Food Pantry (referred to as "God's Pantry"). They located an old auto repair shop with an acre of land and refurbished it into their current pantry. Working in over 100-degree temperatures with fans and cold water, they saw their clientele grow to over 150 families.

Hearing about their efforts, a man from Tyler, Joe Stowe, who owned an air conditioning company, donated two 5-ton air conditioners with heat strips and had them installed. Over time, the Wares developed a way to find and procure food for the pantry, sharing surplus food with other pantries and organizations as part of what they call “a circle of God’s food.”

The pantry also opened its doors to East Texas veterans in need of food, offering support to those who had served their country. Today, the Rose Hill Community Food Pantry serves 550 families, with a focus on seniors facing food insecurity and children in need of protein and other essentials. Throughout their journey, Kris and Bill have formed deep and lasting connections with their community, including many clients they’ve known since their early volunteering days in 2008.

The pantry is funded by donations from local people and proceeds from garage sales. Whenever a bill comes in, someone always seems to step in at just the right time to cover the expense, which the Wares attribute to divine intervention. They acquired a 1995 box truck in great condition, and a local merchant (Mr. and Mrs. Golden Chick) gifted them a set of new tires to ensure it was safe on the road. Fresh eggs and vegetables are donated during the growing season when people have an excess supply.

The Wares welcome volunteers to join them at the pantry to experience the love and laughter that fill "God’s Pantry."