Our Story

Serve Denton has been a dream in the community for over 40 years. In the last 10 years, that dream has become a reality.

Mayor Elinor Hughes first proposed the idea of a one-stop human services center in 1976.

She formed a commission to study the idea, and they identified several potential properties; however, a lack of funding prevented the idea of moving forward.

In 2001, a group of community leaders formed a nonprofit called the Denton Assistance Center, Inc. in the hopes of resurrecting this idea. They raised some funding but were not able to find a building or the necessary support.

Eventually, the organization went dormant.

In 2011, Denton Bible Church (DBC) sought ways to better use the excess property they owned and returned to the idea of creating a nonprofit office complex. Remaining members of the Denton Assistance Center, Inc. met and agreed to transfer the 501(c)3 to the new group. Pat Smith, Priscilla Sanders and Gary Henderson led this group. They retained the legal name but changed the operating name to Serve Denton.

A new board of directors was seated February 9, 2012, and Serve Denton began operations. 

Serve Denton operates two properties—both provide quality space at a reduced cost to nonprofit organizations. This arrangement enables nonprofits to allocate more of their funding toward their mission, instead of overhead costs and provide services that help individuals and families become self-sufficient.

The main campus, Serve Denton Center, is located at 306 N Loop 288 and is expanding significantly.

Initially, Serve Denton had a long-term lease agreement with DBC on a 32,000 sf building. When a local school wanted to purchase the building, we negotiated a $1M termination fee to allow Serve Denton to relocate. Through this transaction, the deed to The Wheeler House was also acquired. The $1M allowed Serve Denton to put a down payment on the new building and complete Phase 1 construction.

Operations and partner agencies were moved into portable buildings in September 2017 while construction took place.

Phase 1 is 10,500 sf of quality office space that can serve 10-15 nonprofits. Construction began in September 2017 and finished in late February 2018.

Phases 2, 3, and 4 are home to Health Services of North Texas, Children’s Advocacy Center for Denton County, and Denton Community Food Center. All three phases were completed and opened in October 2019.

Today, Serve Denton is fully operational. The dream has become a reality.

Want to see it for yourself?